The best and worst U.S. President ranked by the country's leading experts

Picking the best and worst Presidents in the history of the United States can be difficult for the average person since their selections can be biased. That's why a 2024 poll brought together hundreds of experts to choose the best and worst executives the country has seen since it was founded.

The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey questioned 525 historians, scholars, political scientists, and all manner of other experts to give their authoritative opinions on ranking the presidents. 154 responses were used to determine who was the best and worst U.S. President. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash By Brandon Mowinkel

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

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. 

Rating: 93.87

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Alexander Gardner, Public Domain

Rating: 90.83

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Photograph, CC BY 2.0

Rating: 90.32

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Gilbert Stuart, Public Domain

Rating: 78.58

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Adam Cuerden, Public Domain

Rating: 77.53

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Rembrandt Peale, Public Domain

Rating: 75.34

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

Rating: 73.80

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

Rating: 73.73

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

Rating: 72.86

Rating: 68.37

Rating: 93.87

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By John Vanderlyn, Public Domain

Rating: 66.42

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Bob McNeely, Public Domain

Rating: 62.66

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Gilbert Stuart, CC0

Rating: 62.66

Rating: 61.80

Rating: 61.62

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Michael Evans, Public Domain

Rating: 60.93

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons  By Brady, Public Domain

Rating: 60.15 

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

Rating: 58.54

Rating: 55.41 

Rating: 40.43

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

Rating: 10.92