Choosing the right classes at Arizona State University often depends as much on who is teaching them as what is on the course syllabus. With tens of thousands of undergraduate and graduate students navigating sprawling campuses across the Phoenix metro area and online through ASU Sync, third-party evaluation tools like RateMyProfessors play a massive role in registration strategy. The average overall rating for ASU faculty sits around 4.1 out of 5, but that general metric hides massive discrepancies between departments, introductory lecture halls, and upper-division seminars.
Navigating professor reviews effectively requires looking past raw scores to decode what students actually mean by "tough grader" or "heavy workload." This guide breaks down how ASU ratings trend across major colleges, how to interpret student feedback without falling for bias, and how to combine third-party data with official university resources for a bulletproof schedule.
Understanding ASU Professor Ratings and Metrics
When you pull up ASU faculty profiles on rating platforms, you'll generally encounter a combination of overall quality scores, difficulty levels, and the percentage of students who would take the class again.
The Core Numbers
- Overall Quality: A score from 1 to 5 summarizing clarity, helpfulness, and engagement.
- Level of Difficulty: A scale measuring homework volume, exam rigor, and grading strictness.
- Retake Percentage: The proportion of reviewers who claim they'd register for the same instructor again.
Most departments at ASU skew toward the positive side, but STEM gatekeeper courses—such as introductory calculus and university physics—frequently feature lower overall averages due to high-stakes testing and abstract material. Conversely, project-based electives in programs like the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts or upper-level business courses in the W. P. Carey School of Business often see inflated scores driven by smaller class sizes and hands-on interaction.
Departmental Breakdown: Where Ratings Peak and Dip
Different colleges within the university foster distinct grading cultures and student-faculty dynamics.
Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
Engineering tracks are notoriously rigorous. Professors like Dr. Subbarao Kambhampati in Computer Science or specialized mechanical engineering faculty often receive praise for deep industry knowledge, yet comments frequently warn about dense, fast-paced lectures. High difficulty ratings here rarely mean an instructor is bad; they usually reflect the sheer weight of technical problem sets and lab requirements.
W. P. Carey School of Business
Business core classes—such as supply chain management, finance, and accounting—draw heavy traffic on review platforms. Instructors who connect textbook theories to real-world financial markets or corporate case studies tend to sweep top marks. Students routinely emphasize that knowing which section leader you get for mandatory core modules can completely change your GPA trajectory.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
In large humanities and social science lectures, ratings often hinge on assignment transparency. Professors who utilize clear rubrics and structured weekly modules receive glowing reviews, while those who rely heavily on subjective essay grading without clear feedback often catch flak in the comment sections.
How to Read Between the Lines of Student Reviews
Raw star ratings can be deeply misleading. A 3.2-star professor might actually be an incredible educator who refuses to hand out unearned grades, while a 4.8-star instructor might simply assign minimal homework and easy multiple-choice exams.
When scanning student feedback, look for specific recurring patterns rather than emotional rants. If ten separate reviews mention that an instructor posts detailed lecture slides, provides practice exams that mirror actual tests, and responds to emails within 24 hours, that tells you far more than a single angry complaint from someone who skipped every lecture.
Watch out for these common review traps:
- The "Hard Grader" Fallacy: Many students conflate rigorous standards with bad teaching. Read comments to see if low grades stem from unfair testing or simply failing to study.
- Textbook Reliance: Pay attention to whether students feel forced to buy expensive access codes or readings that the professor never actually references.
- Attendance Policies: Mandatory clicker questions or unannounced pop quizzes are frequent flashpoints in negative reviews. If you balance a heavy work schedule or an internship, filter for feedback regarding attendance flexibility.
Supplementing RateMyProfessors with Official ASU Tools
Relying entirely on anonymous internet ratings is risky. Savvy students cross-reference public review sites with internal university data to build schedules that fit their learning style.
ASU My ASU Class Search and Grade Distributions
Before locking in a schedule during registration windows, check the historical grade distribution tools or talk to academic advisors in your major's advising office. Some departments publish historical data showing the percentage of A, B, and C grades awarded by specific instructors over previous semesters.
Student-Led Extensions and Communities
Communities like the official ASU Reddit board serve as goldmines for unvarnished peer advice. Searching student forums for specific course codes often reveals detailed breakdowns of project requirements, group work dynamics, and textbook necessity that generic rating profiles miss entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some professors have zero ratings on the platform?
New faculty members, adjuncts, and graduate teaching assistants often lack profiles or have very few reviews. If you can't find information on a specific instructor, check their LinkedIn profile or the department faculty directory to see their research background and previous academic positions.
Are online ASU Sync professors rated differently than in-person faculty?
Yes. Online asynchronous and synchronous courses place a heavier emphasis on clear Canvas module organization, video lecture quality, and prompt communication from teaching assistants. Reviews for online sections often focus heavily on how easy it is to navigate coursework independently.
How much weight should I give to the "difficulty" rating?
Don't avoid a professor simply because their difficulty score is high, especially for core classes required for your major. Instead, read the text comments to see why the class is hard. If the difficulty comes from rigorous assignments that ultimately prepare you for upper-level coursework or board exams, taking the class is usually worth the extra effort.
Can professors remove bad reviews?
Rating platforms generally maintain automated filters and community guidelines to flag spam, hate speech, or retaliatory grading rants. However, legitimate negative reviews written by enrolled students cannot be easily removed just because an instructor dislikes the feedback.
