Witnessing in Public Universities and Colleges

January 31, 2025

Your right to witness in a public university or college varies depending on whether you are a student or not. If you are not a student but wish to witness on campus, it is probably legal for the school to regulate when and where you can speak, as long as this regulation is viewpoint neutral. In other words, a university cannot have one set of rules for people who want to talk about any other religion, but a different set of rules for people who want to talk about Christianity.

While the Supreme Court has noted that a college or university does not have to “make all of its facilities equally available to students and nonstudents alike,” a court would more than likely find a total ban 

on nonstudent speech to be unreasonable.

In many cases, public colleges and universities frequently designate a particular campus location as a free speech area, where students and nonstudents alike may communicate with students and other passersby.

It is definitely to your advantage to do a little research about the college or university where you want to witness. If you need clarification about your specific religious right to witness on a public college campus, contact the Christian Law Association.