25 Colleges With the Worst Professors in 2011

Note: Here are the colleges with the best professors in 2011.
College students love to gripe about their professors, but which schools have more than their share of bad professors?

According to an analysis of millions of RateMyProfessors.com evaluations by an education think tank, the following 25 schools have the worst professors among 650 top schools that were surveyed.

25 Worst Colleges in 2011

1. U.S. Merchant Marines Academy (NY)
2. U.S. Coast Guard Academy (CT)
3. Michigan Technological Academy
4. University of Illinois, Chicago
5. New Jersey Institute of Technology
6. Milwaukee School of Engineering (WI)
7. Tuskegee University (AL)
8. Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)
9. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)
10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)
11. Indiana State University
12. Widnener University (PA)
13. Bentley University (MA)
14. Howard University (DC)
15. Minnesota State University
16. St. Cloud State University (MN)
17. Oregon Institute of Technology
18. Pace University (NY)
19. Central Michigan University
20. Western Michigan University
21. Seton Hall University (NJ)
22. University of Connecticut
23. Clarkson University (NY)
24. University of Toledo (OH)
25. Truman State University (MO)

Two service academies belonging to the U.S. Merchant Marines and the U.S. Coast Guard had the misfortune of topping the list of the worst professors, according to an analysis conducted by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, which is the think tank that generates Forbes' best colleges rankings. It's hard to argue that there is something intrinsic about the service academies that leads to poor teaching when you consider that West Point and the Air Force Academy have the No. 2 and No. 3 top professors on the best college professor list.

A significant number of schools that made it on this list are heavy on engineering majors, which is one of the most notoriously hard disciplines. A lot of students wash out of engineering schools. But then again, some engineering schools, including MIT and Cal Tech, do okay on the center's list. Out of the 650 schools that the center examined, MIT and Cal Tech had the 149th and the 148th best professors respectively.

You can find the breakdown of professor ratings for each school by checking the center's 2011 component rankings. Just look for the column with the abbreviation RMP. Here is the methodology the center uses to compile the scores.

Lynn O'Shaughnessy is author of The College Solution, an Amazon bestseller, and Shrinking the Cost of College workbook. She also writes her own college blog at The College Solution.

Read more on The College Solution:

Where Professors Send Their Children to College
5 Reasons to Attend a Liberal Arts College
U.S. Merchant Marines Academy by USCG Press. CC 2.0.

[clapp1115]

What a joke, more like a study on what schools complain the most about their professors

[danabruneau]

I agree with the above comment. As a student at Pace University I find this article offensive. I don't think the way this "research" was conducted is legitimate because RATEMYPROFESSOR is not legit. "The worst professor list came from RateMyProfessor data gathered by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. Every year, the think tank uses these professor ratings when it compiles its annual college rankings for Forbes." Um, what? How are you possibly using a site that not everyone uses or even knows about to decipher not only your best teachers but your best colleges, too?

I have loved at least 75% of my professors at Pace University. They're all incredibly professional with real jobs in real NYC. Any professors that I didn't like were only disliked because they were too tough. If they were too tough I would write a bad review. But months would go by and I would realize I was wrong. They're challenging and serious. I've gone to other colleges in NYC that were MUCH worse- St. John's University for example. Even my college in Anchorage, Alaska is absolutely deplorable. These are colleges where the professor wasn't too difficult, or un-personable, these are colleges where the professors actually do not care teaching or us students in general.

I wish people would stop putting down our school. Our students get great jobs and make a lot of money starting out. We are located smack-dab in the middle of Wall Street. Our students have awesome internships and work hard. Our school offers great financial aid.
The end.

[barbz010]

Oh yea, RATE MY PROFESSOR is your source?? You should feel ashamed.