For many college students, choosing classes can feel like a gamble; one wrong professor and an entire semester can sink. Because of this, Rate My Professor has become a popular tool across campuses, including Dallas College. But as useful as students find the site, plenty of faculty members remain divided on whether it’s fair, accurate, or even relevant.
One professor recalled her first experience with the site years ago. “I went on it, just to see what students were talking about,” she said.
“They had this thing where you could give someone a hot pepper…or a pickle. I looked up my friend Marty, who teaches classical Latin and Greek. She’s brilliant. And there was a pickle. I didn’t know what it meant.” When she asked a colleague, she learned the meaning: “A hot pepper meant the professor was good. A pickle meant they were not.” She shook her head, remembering it.
“I left that site faster. I thought, ‘What a bunch of nonsense.’ The last thing I care about is whether my professor is hot or not. I thought the pepper meant the class was challenging or the material was hot. But no, it was rating someone’s appearance.”
Although the website has changed since then, removing the “hotness” score, the experience left a mark. “Why would I take that as a credible source?” she said. “It felt like judging someone on things that have nothing to do with teaching.”
Can the ratings be trusted?
Students often describe classes as “easy,” “hard,” or “confusing,” but professors argue that these labels depend heavily on individual strengths. How can you say a class is easy? Maybe you’re good at that subject. Maybe someone else isn’t. So, is the rating telling the truth, or just one person’s experience? Some ratings aren’t organic at all. There are teachers who have tons of feedback, 30 or 60 reviews. Not because her students spontaneously rated her, but because one student told the whole class to get on Rate My Professor and give her rave reviews. How do you scale that?
Students use it, but with caution.
For many students, the site can be helpful in setting expectations. It gives you an idea of what you’re getting into, but some people take it like a final judgment: ‘Oh, that teacher is like this—no go.’ But it really shouldn’t be the thing that makes your final decision. It should just help you get a sense of the class, not choose it for you.
In my own experience, I registered late and ended up in a math class where the professor had an average rating of 1.6. At first, I didn’t see the ratings. I got stuck with the only open class.
This class turned out to be extremely challenging, not just because of the subject, but because of the teaching style. People started dropping the class.
The professor tried her best to succeed. This is where Rate My Professor would have helped and informed me.
A tool, not a rule
The students should acknowledge that the site doesn’t always tell the full story. For AP Biology, the highest-rated professors’ classes were taken immediately. I ended up with someone rated a 2 or 3. I thought it would be hard, but it wasn’t for me.
Because science is my strength. This raises a bigger question: Are students rating the teacher or their own experience with the subject? Students should treat the site as one resource, not the deciding factor.
There are things you can trust, like whether there’s extra credit, how much reading there is, and whether they post grades on time.
But everything else depends on perspective. If you see the same comment repeated over and over, give it a little credibility… but don’t let it make your decision for you.
So how should students use it?
The consensus among students and professors alike is clear: Use Rate My Professor to get a general idea. Look for patterns, not one angry review. Remember that difficulty depends on your strengths.
Never treat the site as the final authority. In the end, Rate My Professor has value but only when used responsibly.
It can provide insight, context and expectations. But it should never be the sole deciding factor when choosing a class. A website can’t capture every teaching style, every personality or every student’s learning needs. As the professor put it:
“There are a million ways to teach, and a million ways to learn. One style works for one student, but not another.” Rate My Professor is a tool, not a rule, and the real learning begins only once you’re in the classroom.
