What do students think of college professors with tattoos?

Students like them.

“Analyses indicated that the presence of tattoos was associated with some positive changes in ratings…”

128 undergraduates’ perceptions of tattoos on a model described as a college instructor were assessed. They viewed one of four photographs of a tattooed or nontattooed female model. Students rated her on nine teaching-related characteristics. Analyses indicated that the presence of tattoos was associated with some positive changes in ratings: students’ motivation, being imaginative about assignments, and how likely students were to recommend her as an instructor.

Source: “Perceptions of a tattooed college instructor.” from Psychol Rep. 2010 Jun;106(3):845-50.

While we may think of guys with tattoos as tough and badass, I learned in this book that one of the most consistent findings among Navy Seal instructors is that guys with tattoos tend not to make the grade.