Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

Top of the board1.ECON 9902962.LAWS 8856973.PRTO 3300984.BSLW 2299975.PHIL 4932986.LAWS 8308987.SCWK 9960998.EESC 99011009.MUSP 16609610.UGMG 10109811.UNCP 55119712.SCWK 883197

Positions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

Instructor record · History · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

Seth Jacobs

Professor · History · 16 evaluation records across 5 classes

On each class's board
HIST 2475only instructor on recordHIST 4495only instructor on recordHIST 4496only instructor on recordHIST 10681st of 6 instructorsHIST 2476only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
91BC evaluations16 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
86RateMyProfessors36 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 77% would take again
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute

Sources are averaged by how much we trust each one and by how many records sit behind it, so a handful of reviews nudges the number rather than replacing it.

What the challenge rank is made of
67thMore challenging than 67% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
91BC — “Intellectually Challenging”16 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score. RateMyProfessors separately rates this instructor 60 out of 100 for difficulty — that IS a difficulty measure, but it is about the person across everything they teach, not about any one class, so it is shown here rather than folded into the number above.

What the workload rank is made of
26thMore work than 26% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
40BC — “Workload”16 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

Ratings from outside BC

Not evaluation data

Collected from RateMyProfessors, not from Boston College: 36 ratings, 77% would take again, difficulty 60 out of 100. Difficulty is not a quality signal in either direction — a harder course is not a worse one.

Anyone can post there — no @bc.edu check and no enrolment check — so it is weighted alongside the evaluation data, never above it.

The line

All 13 items · means across 16 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9359th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8827th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9147th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9676th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9476th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9367th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8836th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8423rd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9051st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8629th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4026th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9167th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8220th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Class by class

5 classes · 16 sections

How each position is worked outPositions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

HIST 2475 America's War in VietnamOvr94Chal48thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

4 sections on record · course itself rated 91 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 2475.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501918540
Fall 202301959440
Fall 202201949040
Fall 202101979540
All 13 items for HIST 2475
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9454th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9030th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9346th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9771st pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9571st pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9465th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9029th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8620th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8835th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8520th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9048th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8317th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

HIST 4495 U.S. Foreign Policy IOvr87Chal62ndWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

4 sections on record · course itself rated 83 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 4495.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501888840
Fall 2023018579—
Fall 2022018785—
Fall 202101898140
All 13 items for HIST 4495
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9132nd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8613th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8719th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9448th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9469th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9146th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9034th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8621st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8936th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8314th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9262nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8521st pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

HIST 4496 U.S. Foreign Policy II, 1945-PresentOvr91Chal63rdWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

4 sections on record · course itself rated 87 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 4496.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601918840
Spring 202401918740
Spring 2023019086—
Spring 202201948840
All 13 items for HIST 4496
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9453rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8716th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9137th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9556th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9575th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9469th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8927th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8516th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9255th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9043rd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9363rd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8112th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

HIST 1068 America and the World IIOvr94Chal34thWork25th
On this class's board1st of 6 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 88 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 1068.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202401959140
Spring 202301948840
Spring 202201928540
All 13 items for HIST 1068
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9349th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9028th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9244th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9664th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9357th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9252nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8513th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
806th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9148th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8521st pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8834th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
755th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

HIST 2476 The Cold War in the Third WorldOvr91Chal37thWork—
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 82 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 2476.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2026019182—
All 13 items for HIST 2476
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9343rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8820th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9134th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9770th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8938th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8832nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8616th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8211th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9782nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8418th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8837th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8937th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

How to read this pageScores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Almost every class scores high on that scale (the median is about 90), so challenge and workload are shown as a rank against every instructor we hold rather than as a score; the raw figure is in the breakdown above. Neither describes quality, and neither is ever marked better or worse anywhere on this site. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero. The position printed against each class is this instructor's place on that class's own board, computed from the same records the board itself is built from.