Young Sheldon series ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

The hype for Young Sheldon might be everywhere, but what do the fans really think? Here’s every series ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes score.

If you think that Sheldon Cooper’s story has unfolded for a long time, you’d be right. With The Big Bang Theory first airing back in 2007, he’s a character who has somehow been on our screens for 17 years.

Most notably, Iain Armitage has taken up the role in prequel show Young Sheldon, which unsurprisingly does exactly what it says on the tin. However, the series is now drawing to a close, with Season 7 set to premiere and round out the show on February 15, 2024.

If you’re unsure where to start – or whether it’s worth it in the first place – here’s every series on Young Sheldon ranked by its Rotten Tomatoes score.

Young Sheldon series ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

Below you’ll find a list of every series on Young Sheldon ranked by its Rotten Tomatoes score – with one notable exception.

Of course, Season 7 hasn’t begun to air yet, meaning no Rotten Tomatoes score is currently available. We’ll be sure to add this in as soon as it gets one.

Seasons 1-6 are now available to stream on Netflix.

Season 6 – 74%

As the most recent series, it’s almost unsurprising that Young Sheldon Season 6 props up the bottom of the pile with an audience score of 74%. During this batch of episodes, Sheldon decides to expand his responsibilities and become a dorm resident adviser, while Meemaw and Dale make a sketchy business deal and Mary and George Sr. rekindle their romance.

Audience reviews claim there was room for improvement, with one in particular writing: “As much as I have loved Young Sheldon, here I am toward the end of Season 6, and I find the actual Young Sheldon to have poorly aged with his character. The others, yes. Him, no. As a little kid, he was super cute. As a teen, he doesn’t seem to have evolved.”

Season 1 – 76%

The very first Young Sheldon outing is next on the list, edging 2% more on the Rotten Tomatoes score of Season 6. Additionally, this is the only season to also have a critics score, incidentally matching the audience’s perspective. In episodes, 9-year-old Sheldon learns that having a genius mind doesn’t always help in life – or in Texas. To please his worried mother, he uses techniques from a self-help book to try and make friends.

One audience review reads: “It is a good prequel to the Big Bang Theory it has some really funny jokes in it I think the 1st season was way funnier than the 1st of TBBT, Sheldon was still annoying but not that annoying like in the Big Bang Theory. Every Episode was not bad and had great themes, almost every character was funny and had good jokes.”

Season 5 – 81%

Jumping forward in time to Young Sheldon Season 5, the fifth installment of the show has an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. High jinks include Sheldon taking his first engineering class with Professor Boucher; Meemaw and Dale helping to take care of his ex-wife, and Sheldon battling President Hagemeyer’s mysterious boss over the university’s science requirements.

“The show is evolving and becoming more adult as its young cast grows. This show is personally my all-time favorite show – never fails to entertain or amuse, with a fantastic ensemble at the top of their game, superb characterizations, and great writing – which stems from those characterizations. If you haven’t seen Young Sheldon, I envy you, you have a lot to look forward to,” one fan review reads.

Season 4 – 85%

With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85%, Young Sheldon Season 4 takes the bronze medal. As one fan puts it: “As silly as this show is, it still makes me laugh consistently, and a couple of shows every year are just non-stop laughs. Feel like 4 years ago we had a decent number of great sitcoms on network TV. That seems be a thing of the past.”

Season 4 plot includes Sheldon graduating high school before having a breakdown when he realizes he may not be ready for college, and Dale trying to make amends with Meemaw. At the same time, Georgie discovers Mary’s guilty pleasure.

Season 3 – 88%

Season 3 of Young Sheldon has a pretty impressive score of 88%, ranking as the second-best installment on the site. The 21 episodes have plot points such as Missy asking George Sr. to teach her how to play catch, and Dr. Sturgis unexpectedly breaking up with Meemaw.

One audience member weighs in: “Young Sheldon Season 3 continues to be a strong and enjoyable show, offering a mix of heart, humor, and character development. The season delves deeper into the lives of the Cooper family, exploring their relationships with one another and their struggles with the challenges of growing up and navigating the world. One of the standout aspects of the season is the continued development of Sheldon’s character.”

Season 2 – 90%

As the creme de la creme of Young Sheldon, Season 2 takes the crown with an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%. Sheldon gets jealous of Dr. Sturgis bonding with Paige, while he also takes a psychology class as his elective – being told to observe family dynamics over the Thanksgiving weekend during this series.

“Wow very good Season, way better than the first one and the end was perfect where we saw all future Big Bang Theory characters as Kids, that even gave me goosebumps, and we also got some new cool characters and more exciting episodes than in the 1st season,” one fan summed up.