Having taught the topic for almost a decade, I know that both among undergrad and grad students, Stats is viewed as a roadblock by most. In addition, most people who teach the topic, don't want to teach it, so they do it in the easiest way possible: Compute this number, look up this table, tell me if the result is "significant" ... "There, you get an A. One less obstacle on your path to becoming the best doctor, the best journalist, the best I-banker, the best consultant, the best of everything ... To bad you don't know what this all means at all."

Edited to add: Also, I can't bring myself to forget the positive reception Sam Wang got here for absolutely meaningless statistical statements. But, again, most people see Stats as providing the tools with which to make such statements so they can be popular.