# RateMyProfessors Scraper - Professor Ratings & Reviews (`lulzasaur/ratemyprofessors-scraper`) Actor Search RateMyProfessors for professor ratings, difficulty scores, and reviews by name or school. Extract avg rating, difficulty, would-take-again %, department, and school info. Uses the public GraphQL API. - **URL**: https://apify.com/lulzasaur/ratemyprofessors-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [lulz bot](https://apify.com/lulzasaur) (community) - **Categories:** Other - **Stats:** 5 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $5.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## RateMyProfessors Scraper Scrape professor ratings, difficulty scores, reviews, and tags from [RateMyProfessors](https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/) via their public GraphQL API. ### Features - **Multi-query search**: Search by professor name, subject, or keyword - **School filter**: Narrow results to a specific university - **Individual ratings**: Optionally scrape student reviews with comment text - **Top tags**: Professor tags sorted by frequency (e.g., "Caring", "Tough Grader") - **Pay per result**: Only pay for the data you actually get ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | `searchQueries` | string[] | `["computer science"]` | Professor names or subjects to search | | `schoolName` | string | `""` | Filter by school name (e.g., "MIT", "UCLA") | | `maxListings` | integer | `50` | Maximum professor profiles to return (max 1000) | | `scrapeDetails` | boolean | `false` | Fetch individual ratings/reviews per professor | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | - | Optional proxy settings | #### Example Input ```json { "searchQueries": ["computer science", "Dr. Smith"], "schoolName": "MIT", "maxListings": 25, "scrapeDetails": true } ```` ### Output Each result contains: | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `firstName` | string | Professor's first name | | `lastName` | string | Professor's last name | | `department` | string | Academic department | | `schoolName` | string | University/college name | | `avgRating` | number | Average quality rating (0-5) | | `numRatings` | number | Total number of student ratings | | `wouldTakeAgainPercent` | number | Percentage who would retake | | `avgDifficulty` | number | Average difficulty rating (0-5) | | `topTags` | string\[] | Professor tags sorted by frequency | | `ratings` | object\[] | Individual student reviews (when `scrapeDetails` is true) | | `sourceUrl` | string | Direct link to professor's RMP profile | | `scrapedAt` | string | ISO timestamp of data collection | #### Example Output ```json { "firstName": "John", "lastName": "Smith", "department": "Computer Science", "schoolName": "Massachusetts Institute of Technology", "avgRating": 4.5, "numRatings": 42, "wouldTakeAgainPercent": 89, "avgDifficulty": 3.2, "topTags": ["Caring", "Gives Good Feedback", "Inspirational"], "ratings": [ { "comment": "Great professor, very clear lectures.", "date": "2024-01-15 12:00:00 +0000 UTC", "class": "CS101", "helpfulRating": 5, "clarityRating": 5, "difficultyRating": 3, "grade": "A", "thumbsUp": 12, "thumbsDown": 1 } ], "sourceUrl": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/12345", "scrapedAt": "2026-04-26T12:00:00.000Z" } ``` ### Use Cases - **Students**: Compare professors before registering for classes - **Academic research**: Analyze teaching quality patterns across departments - **University analytics**: Benchmark faculty ratings against peer institutions - **EdTech products**: Power professor comparison and course planning tools ### Cost This Actor uses pay-per-event pricing. You are charged $0.005 per result returned. ### Limitations - The RMP API returns a maximum of ~10,000 results per search query - Individual ratings are limited to the 20 most recent per professor - School name matching uses fuzzy search; use the full official name for best results *** ### Run on Apify This scraper runs on the [Apify platform](https://apify.com/?fpr=lulzasaur). Sign up for a free account to get started. [Try Apify free ->](https://apify.com/?fpr=lulzasaur) ### Related Scrapers More data tools by [lulzasaur](https://apify.com/lulzasaur): - [Google Scholar Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/google-scholar-scraper) -- Academic paper data - [Coursera Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/coursera-scraper) -- Online course data - [Goodreads Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/goodreads-scraper) -- Book ratings and reviews # Actor input Schema ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Professor names or subjects to search (e.g., 'computer science', 'Dr. Smith'). ## `schoolName` (type: `string`): Filter by school name (e.g., 'MIT', 'UCLA'). Leave empty for all schools. ## `maxListings` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of professor profiles to return. ## `scrapeDetails` (type: `boolean`): Fetch individual student ratings/reviews for each professor. Slower but provides full review text. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings for the scraper. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "computer science" ], "schoolName": "", "maxListings": 50, "scrapeDetails": false } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "searchQueries": [ "computer science" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("lulzasaur/ratemyprofessors-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "searchQueries": ["computer science"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("lulzasaur/ratemyprofessors-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "searchQueries": [ "computer science" ] }' | apify call lulzasaur/ratemyprofessors-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=lulzasaur/ratemyprofessors-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "RateMyProfessors Scraper - Professor Ratings & Reviews", "description": "Search RateMyProfessors for professor ratings, difficulty scores, and reviews by name or school. Extract avg rating, difficulty, would-take-again %, department, and school info. Uses the public GraphQL API.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "zaAQhR8cafKvjLoqr" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/lulzasaur~ratemyprofessors-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-lulzasaur-ratemyprofessors-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/lulzasaur~ratemyprofessors-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-lulzasaur-ratemyprofessors-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/lulzasaur~ratemyprofessors-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-lulzasaur-ratemyprofessors-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "searchQueries": { "title": "Search Queries", "type": "array", "description": "Professor names or subjects to search (e.g., 'computer science', 'Dr. Smith').", "items": { "type": "string" }, "default": [ "computer science" ] }, "schoolName": { "title": "School Name", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by school name (e.g., 'MIT', 'UCLA'). Leave empty for all schools.", "default": "" }, "maxListings": { "title": "Max Listings", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of professor profiles to return.", "default": 50 }, "scrapeDetails": { "title": "Scrape Individual Ratings", "type": "boolean", "description": "Fetch individual student ratings/reviews for each professor. Slower but provides full review text.", "default": false }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings for the scraper." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```