America’s best and worst presidents ranked in new poll—See how your favorites stacked up!

Who do you think did the worst?
The Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey
Every president was scored from 1 to 100
Who came out on top and who was ranked terribly?
1. Abraham Lincoln
2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
3. George Washington
4. Theodore Roosevelt
5. Thomas Jefferson
6. Harry Truman
7. Barack Obama
8. Dwight D. Eisenhower
9. Lyndon B. Johnson
10. John F. Kennedy
11. James Madison
12. Bill Clinton
13. John Adams
14. Joe Biden
15. Woodrow Wilson
16. Ronald Regan
17. Ulysses S. Grant
18. James Monroe
19. George H. W. Bush
20. John Quincy Adams
George W. Bush was ranked 32nd
Donlad Trump was ranked dead last
Who do you think did the worst?

In a recent survey, all 46 U.S. presidents—both past and present—were ranked from best to worst, with academics determining which leaders earn praise and which are deserving of criticism.

The Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey

The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey asked 525 historians, scholars, political scientists, and all manner of other experts to give their authoritative opinions on ranking the presidents. 154 responses were used. 

Every president was scored from 1 to 100

Each president was given a score from one to one hundred. The poll’s authors Brandon Rottinghaus and Justin Vaughn explained that a score of zero equaled failure, while fifty was average and one hundred was considered great. 

Who came out on top and who was ranked terribly?

So who came out on top of the ranking and what were their scores? Let’s look at the top 20 presidents as well as a few who were ranked the country’s worst. You might be able to guess which former president was ranked worst. 

1. Abraham Lincoln

Rating: 93.87

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Alexander Gardner, Public Domain

2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Rating: 90.83

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Photograph, CC BY 2.0

3. George Washington

Rating: 90.32

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Gilbert Stuart, Public Domain

4. Theodore Roosevelt

Rating: 78.58

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Adam Cuerden, Public Domain

5. Thomas Jefferson

Rating: 77.53

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Rembrandt Peale, Public Domain

6. Harry Truman

Rating: 75.34

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Byron H. Rollins, Public Domain

7. Barack Obama

Rating: 73.80

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Official White House / Pete Souza, Public Domain

8. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Rating: 73.73

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By White House, Eisenhower Presidential Library, Public Domain

9. Lyndon B. Johnson

Rating: 72.86

10. John F. Kennedy

Rating: 68.37

11. James Madison

Rating: 93.87

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By John Vanderlyn, Public Domain

12. Bill Clinton

Rating: 66.42

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Bob McNeely, Public Domain

13. John Adams

Rating: 62.66

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Gilbert Stuart, CC0

14. Joe Biden

Rating: 62.66

15. Woodrow Wilson

Rating: 61.80

16. Ronald Regan

Rating: 61.62

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Michael Evans, Public Domain

17. Ulysses S. Grant

Rating: 60.93

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons  By Brady, Public Domain

18. James Monroe

Rating: 60.15 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons  By Samuel Finley Breese Morse, Public Domain

19. George H. W. Bush

Rating: 58.54

20. John Quincy Adams

Rating: 55.41 

George W. Bush was ranked 32nd

Rating: 40.43

By Eric Draper, United States Department of Defense , Public Domain

Donlad Trump was ranked dead last

Rating: 10.92

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