Estonia holds second place in the Academic Freedom Index 2026, behind only the Czech Republic. The index assesses higher education and research across 179 countries in five areas: freedom of research and teaching, academic exchange, university autonomy, research ethics, and freedom of expression.
Academic freedom means students, lecturers and researchers are free to express their ideas while also safeguarding the independence of universities. According to a new report, academic freedom remains strong in Estonia, but is in decline globally.
Why Estonia scores high
According to Kristiina Tõnisson, head of the Estonian Research Council, Estonia’s result reflects its broader democratic culture — rule of law, an independent judiciary, and low corruption. She also points to history: when Estonia regained independence, non-interference in research became inseparable from restoring democracy itself.
Estonia has also avoided the culture wars that have affected universities elsewhere. “We do not have broad political campaigns attacking the attitudes of universities, questioning their legitimacy or demanding restrictions on research topics,” Tõnisson said.
University autonomy matters
The index finds a clear pattern: stronger institutional autonomy means greater individual academic freedom. Aune Valk, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at the University of Tartu, notes that what feels ordinary in Estonia is far from universal. “The fact that universities can hire their own staff and determine their salaries is not self-evident everywhere,” she said.
A global decline
Globally, academic freedom has declined in 50 countries over the past decade and improved in only nine. Reductions in university autonomy are often accompanied by restrictions on academic freedom more broadly.
Room to grow
Estonia’s weaker area is international mobility. “While we are at the absolute top in terms of institutional autonomy, there is still room for development when it comes to the freedom of international cooperation,” Valk noted.
Thle full version of the is available in ERR News.
