RIGOROUS & TRANSPARENT
Our Methodology
Every AWI score is built on publicly verifiable data points, weighted by our proprietary model, and reviewed by our advisory board of academics, policy researchers, and institutional analysts.
25%
◆ WEIGHT: 25%
DEI Spending Efficiency
Tracks state-level DEI legislation compliance, institutional DEI office spending, and program elimination progress. States with active bans (FL SB 266, TX SB 17, AR Act 112) receive higher baseline scores. We cross-reference IPEDS expenditure data against institutional DEI audit reports.
20%
◆ WEIGHT: 20%
Free Speech Climate
Aggregates FIRE College Free Speech Rankings data (257 schools, 68,000+ student surveys), Spotlight speech code ratings (red/yellow/green light), Chicago Principles adoption, and institutional neutrality commitments. Schools are graded A through F per FIRE's 2026 methodology.
20%
◆ WEIGHT: 20%
Academic Freedom Index
Measures the absence of political litmus tests in hiring, tenure protections for heterodox scholars, and whether diversity statements are required for employment. Data sourced from FIRE's Scholars Under Fire database and the National Association of Scholars faculty survey.
20%
◆ WEIGHT: 20%
Political Diversity Score
Analyzes faculty voter registration data from NAS studies and College Fix investigations. Nationally, D:R faculty ratios average 4-5:1 in STEM and exceed 10:1 in humanities. Florida public universities lead with 22% Republican faculty vs. 11% nationally.
15%
◆ WEIGHT: 15%
Administrative Bloat Rating
Evaluates admin-to-student and admin-to-faculty ratios using IPEDS data. National average: 70 FTE admin per 1,000 students at public schools (AEI). Admin spending grew 61% per student from 1993-2007 while instruction grew 39% (Goldwater Institute).