GRE Score Percentile Calculator: Verbal, Quant, and Writing with 2025 ETS Data
Find your exact GRE percentile rank using official ETS data from July 2022–June 2025 — the current window no other calculator has updated to yet. See the Verbal-Quant asymmetry, compare against your intended field, and get program-type guidance. Free, no signup required.
| Score | Verbal Percentile | Score | Verbal Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | 99th | 150 | 39th |
| 169 | 99th | 149 | 35th |
| 168 | 98th | 148 | 31st |
| 167 | 97th | 147 | 27th |
| 166 | 96th | 146 | 24th |
| 165 | 95th | 145 | 21st |
| 164 | 93rd | 144 | 18th |
| 163 | 90th | 143 | 15th |
| 162 | 88th | 142 | 13th |
| 161 | 85th | 141 | 11th |
| 160 | 82nd | 140 | 10th |
| 159 | 79th | 139 | 8th |
| 158 | 76th | 138 | 7th |
| 157 | 72nd | 137 | 6th |
| 156 | 68th | 136 | 5th |
| 155 | 64th | 135 | 4th |
| 154 | 60th | 134 | 3rd |
| 153 | 54th | 133 | 2nd |
| 152 | 48th | 132 | 2nd |
| 151 | 43rd | 131 | 1st |
| 150 | 39th | 130 | 1st |
| Score | Quant Percentile | Score | Quant Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | 89th | 150 | 23rd |
| 169 | 85th | 149 | 21st |
| 168 | 80th | 148 | 19th |
| 167 | 75th | 147 | 17th |
| 166 | 71st | 146 | 15th |
| 165 | 67th | 145 | 12th |
| 164 | 64th | 144 | 10th |
| 163 | 60th | 143 | 9th |
| 162 | 57th | 142 | 8th |
| 161 | 54th | 141 | 6th |
| 160 | 50th | 140 | 5th |
| 159 | 47th | 139 | 4th |
| 158 | 44th | 138 | 3rd |
| 157 | 42nd | 137 | 3rd |
| 156 | 40th | 136 | 2nd |
| 155 | 37th | 135 | 2nd |
| 154 | 34th | 134 | 1st |
| 153 | 32nd | 133 | 1st |
| 152 | 29th | 132 | 1st |
| 151 | 26th | 131 | 1st |
| 150 | 23rd | 130 | 1st |
| AWA Score | Percentile | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 99th | Outstanding |
| 5.5 | 98th | Outstanding |
| 5.0 | 93rd | Strong |
| 4.5 | 85th | Very Strong |
| 4.0 | 63rd | Competitive for most programs |
| 3.5 | 40th | Below average; may raise concern in writing-intensive fields |
| 3.0 | 16th | Low; consider retesting if applying to humanities or law |
| 2.5 | 7th | Low |
| 2.0 | 3rd | Low |
| 1.5–0.0 | 1st | Low |
How GRE Scoring Works: Scales, Sections, and the 2023 Redesign
The GRE General Test measures the skills that graduate and professional schools say their applicants most need: the ability to reason with verbal material, the ability to reason with numbers and data, and the ability to construct a clear written argument. But the mechanics of how a test performance turns into a score — and then into a percentile rank — involve a few steps that every test-taker should understand before interpreting their results.
The Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections each produce a scaled score from 130 to 170 in one-point increments. The two sections combine into a total ranging from 260 to 340. Analytical Writing produces a separate score from 0.0 to 6.0 in half-point increments and is not included in that 260-340 total. ETS publishes official percentile ranks for each section individually. It does not publish an official percentile for the combined total, which is why this calculator clearly labels total percentiles as estimates.
Section-Level Adaptive Scoring
The GRE is section-level adaptive, which means your performance on the first section determines what version of the second section you receive. If you perform well on the first Verbal or Quant section, you get a harder second section, but the harder second section gives you access to higher scaled scores. If you struggle on the first section, you receive an easier second section with a more limited ceiling. Your raw score (number of questions answered correctly, with no penalty for wrong answers) is then converted to a scaled score through equating, a statistical process that ensures comparable scores across different exam versions of varying difficulty.
On September 22, 2023, ETS launched a significantly shorter GRE: 1 hour 58 minutes compared to the previous 3 hours 45 minutes. The number of scored questions dropped by about 29 percent, from 80 to 57 total. The unscored experimental section was removed, and the Analytical Writing section was reduced from two essays to one: the Analyze an Issue task remained; the Analyze an Argument task was cut. The good news is that the score scales themselves did not change, so a score of 162 Quant today means the same thing it did before September 2023.
How ETS Percentile Ranks Are Computed
ETS percentile ranks show what percentage of test takers scored below a given score level. A 75th percentile Verbal score means you scored higher than 75 percent of all test takers in the reference pool. ETS updates these percentile tables every year using a rolling three-year window. The current window covers test takers from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025 — about 788,000 Verbal and 791,000 Quant test takers. This is the data this calculator uses. Many competing tools are still on the July 2021–June 2024 window, which produces slightly different figures at key scores.
Understanding the Verbal vs. Quant Percentile Gap
The most important insight about GRE percentiles is that the same scaled score on Verbal and Quant means very different things. A score of 160 is the 82nd percentile for Verbal Reasoning but only the 50th percentile for Quantitative Reasoning. Score a perfect 170 on Quant, and you are at the 89th percentile — not the 99th. Score 170 on Verbal, and you are at the 99th. This gap shows up across the entire score range and has profound implications for how graduate programs interpret GRE results.
| Scaled Score | Verbal Percentile | Quant Percentile | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 155 | 64th | 37th | +27 |
| 158 | 76th | 44th | +32 |
| 160 | 82nd | 50th | +32 |
| 163 | 90th | 60th | +30 |
| 165 | 95th | 67th | +28 |
| 168 | 98th | 80th | +18 |
| 170 | 99th | 89th | +10 |
Why does this gap exist? The answer is demographics. GRE test takers skew strongly toward quantitative fields, and the international test-taker population, which now represents a majority of GRE volumes, tends to come from STEM programs where mathematics instruction is rigorous. India surpassed the United States as the largest source of GRE test takers in 2022–23, a first in the exam’s history. The result is that roughly 10 percent of all test takers score a perfect 170 Quant, while the same score on Verbal is extraordinarily rare. This matters for applicants: a 160 Quant applicant applying to computer science programs is firmly in the middle of the pack, while a 160 Verbal applicant to humanities programs is in the top 20 percent of the distribution.
Three Student GRE Scenarios: Different Scores, Different Paths
Marcus scored 152 Verbal, 167 Quant, and 4.0 AWA on his GRE. He is applying to funded PhD programs in mechanical engineering at programs including University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, and Purdue.
Marcus’s profile is typical for a strong but not elite STEM PhD applicant. His Quant at the 75th percentile is solid but competitive rather than exceptional for top engineering PhD programs, where admitted cohorts at schools like MIT often cluster around Quant 167–169. His Verbal at the 48th percentile is slightly below the national mean, which is normal for engineering applicants. The AWA 4.0 at 63rd percentile is adequate. For Michigan and Georgia Tech, his Quant is on-target; for MIT and Stanford, he might benefit from a retake to push Quant to 168–170. His total of 319 is a meaningful strength in the application.
Priya scored 163 Verbal, 149 Quant, and 5.0 AWA. She is applying to PhD programs in English literature at Northwestern, Yale, and several strong state university programs.
Priya’s Verbal at the 90th percentile is outstanding and her AWA at the 93rd percentile is excellent, signaling strong academic writing capability. Her Quant at the 21st percentile is low but unsurprising for a humanities applicant — English PhD programs typically weight Verbal and AWA far more heavily than Quant. For Yale’s English department and Northwestern, her scores are competitive. Her total of 312 is slightly misleading: the 57th estimated total percentile underrepresents her strength because it equally weights Quant, which is less relevant to her program. Any programs she applies to will evaluate her section scores individually. Her application materials and writing sample are the primary differentiators at this level.
David scored 158 Verbal, 162 Quant, and 4.5 AWA. He is applying to MBA programs at UT McCombs, Rice Jones, and reaching toward MIT Sloan.
David’s scores are well-rounded and competitive for most top-25 MBA programs. The Verbal at 76th percentile and AWA at 85th percentile are particularly strong signals of the communication skills MBA programs prize. His Quant at 57th percentile is adequate for UT McCombs and Rice. For MIT Sloan, the reported middle 80 percent of GRE Quant scores among 2027 admits runs 158–170, putting David at the lower edge. He is applying appropriately to a range of programs. His 320 total at an estimated 75th percentile is solid evidence of overall academic capability. For MIT Sloan specifically, demonstrating strong quantitative performance through his undergraduate record, work experience, or a supplemental finance course could strengthen the application.
What Is a Good GRE Score for Graduate School in the US?
There is no single cutoff for a good GRE score. What counts as competitive depends on your target field, the tier of programs you are applying to, and what else your application demonstrates. That said, some practical benchmarks hold up across most graduate admissions contexts.
General Benchmarks by Percentile Tier
As a starting point, scoring at or above the 75th percentile in a given section is widely considered very strong, and the 90th percentile or above is exceptional. In the current ETS data, the 75th percentile for Verbal is approximately 158 and for Quant is approximately 163. A score at or above both of these puts you in a range that does not raise flags for most graduate programs. Below the 50th percentile in either section begins to require compensating strengths elsewhere in your application, such as a strong research record, compelling letters of recommendation, or high undergraduate GPA.
Field-Specific Considerations for US Graduate Programs
For STEM PhD programs (engineering, computer science, physical sciences), Quant is the section that admissions committees care about most. Scores of 160 or above (50th percentile) are a floor for consideration at well-ranked programs; 165 and above (67th percentile) is competitive; 167 and above (75th percentile) is expected at top-10 STEM PhD programs. Verbal scores of 150–155 and AWA of 4.0 are generally sufficient for STEM applicants. For life sciences programs such as biology and biochemistry, Quant expectations are similar but somewhat lower than engineering, and both Verbal and AWA carry somewhat more weight as evidence of scientific writing capability.
For humanities and social sciences, Verbal and AWA are primary. English PhD programs at top universities typically see admitted cohorts with Verbal above 163 (90th percentile) and AWA at 4.5 or above. History and philosophy programs similarly weight verbal reasoning ability very highly. For social sciences, both sections matter relatively equally. Anthropology and sociology programs value strong Verbal; psychology and economics programs value Quant more similarly to STEM fields.
For business programs that accept the GRE, both sections matter. Harvard Business School’s Class of 2027 reported middle-80 percent GRE ranges of 158–168 Verbal and 159–169 Quant. MIT Sloan has similar ranges. For strong regional or top-25 MBA programs, a 318–320 total is generally competitive. Many business programs now treat GRE and GMAT as equivalent and evaluate both holistically.
The Test-Optional and Test-Blind Trend
A meaningful number of graduate programs have reduced or eliminated GRE requirements in recent years, particularly since 2020. As of 2025, several top programs at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and many state universities offer test-optional admissions for at least some of their graduate programs. Before investing significant time and money in GRE preparation, verify whether your specific target programs require the test. Many programs now indicate their current policy on their admissions FAQ page or their program-specific requirements page. If a program is test-optional and your other materials are strong, submitting borderline scores may not help your candidacy. If a program is test-optional and your scores are strong, submitting them can serve as a supporting signal of academic readiness.
Frequently Asked Questions About GRE Scores and Percentiles
A good GRE score depends on your target program and field. At the 75th percentile or above, a score is generally considered very strong. In the current ETS data (July 2022-June 2025), the 75th percentile for Verbal is approximately 158 and for Quant is approximately 163. For STEM PhD programs at top-10 universities, Quant scores of 165-170 are expected in competitive applicant pools. For humanities PhD programs, Verbal scores of 160-163 and AWA of 4.5-5.0 are the critical signals. Always research your specific target programs’ reported admitted cohort data for the most relevant benchmark.
A 160 on GRE Verbal Reasoning corresponds to approximately the 82nd percentile in the current ETS window. The same score of 160 on Quantitative Reasoning corresponds to approximately the 50th percentile. This dramatic gap illustrates why the same scaled score represents very different relative performance across sections. If you score 160 on both Verbal and Quant (320 total), your Verbal performance is stronger relative to the test-taking population than your Quant performance, even though the scaled scores look identical.
Verbal Reasoning: 130 to 170 in 1-point increments. Quantitative Reasoning: 130 to 170 in 1-point increments. Combined V+Q total: 260 to 340. Analytical Writing: 0.0 to 6.0 in half-point (0.5) increments. AWA is scored separately and is not part of the 260-340 total. ETS publishes official percentile ranks for each section but not for the combined total. A total-score percentile from any calculator, including this one, is an estimate.
According to ETS Interpretive Data for July 2022-June 2025: mean Verbal = 151.39 (SD 8.43), mean Quantitative = 157.62 (SD 9.90), mean Analytical Writing = 3.46 (SD 0.85). The estimated combined V+Q average is approximately 309. These averages span all test takers across all intended graduate fields. The Quant mean is notably higher than Verbal, reflecting the large share of STEM applicants in the test-taker pool.
Raw score equals the number of questions you answer correctly (no penalty for wrong answers). Raw score is converted to a scaled score via equating, adjusting for difficulty across versions. The GRE is section-adaptive: your first section score determines which difficulty level you receive for your second section, setting the ceiling of your available scaled score range. Scaled scores are then mapped to percentile ranks using a three-year rolling reference population that ETS updates annually.
On September 22, 2023, the GRE was redesigned to be nearly half as long: 1 hour 58 minutes compared to the previous 3 hours 45 minutes. Scored questions fell by about 29 percent (from 80 to 57). The unscored experimental section was eliminated. Analytical Writing was reduced from two essays to one (Analyze an Issue only; the Analyze an Argument task was cut). The 130-170 and 0-6 score scales did not change. Pre- and post-2023 scores are directly comparable.
Quantitative Reasoning is the primary signal for engineering PhD programs. A score of 160 (50th percentile) is a general floor at ranked programs. Scores of 165 (67th percentile) are competitive for most ranked programs including University of Michigan, Cornell, and Georgia Tech. Scores of 167-170 (75th-89th percentile) are typical for admitted cohorts at MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. Verbal scores of 150-155 are typically adequate, and AWA of 4.0 is generally sufficient for engineering fields. Many top engineering programs are now test-optional, so check current requirements.
A perfect Verbal score of 170 is the 99th percentile. A perfect Quant score of 170 is only the 89th percentile, meaning roughly 11 percent of all test takers also score 170 Quant. This is because the Quant distribution is heavily skewed upward by the large share of high-performing STEM applicants, including a significant and growing international test-taker population from India and China. Scoring 170 Quant is genuinely impressive but does not represent the rarity that a 170 Verbal does.
No. ETS publishes official percentile ranks for Verbal, Quant, and AWA separately but does not publish an official percentile for the combined V+Q total. Any total score percentile you see, including in this calculator, is a modeled estimate based on the statistical properties of the V and Q distributions. This calculator uses a normal distribution approximation with estimated mean 309 and standard deviation 16. The estimates are clearly labeled as estimates throughout this tool and in any PDF report generated.
The Quant percentile is lower because the pool of GRE test takers skews heavily toward quantitative fields and high-performing STEM applicants, particularly from countries where mathematics education is intensive. As a result, the Quant score distribution is shifted far upward compared to Verbal. In 2022-23, India had 113,304 GRE test takers compared to 97,676 from the US, the first time any country surpassed the US. Many of these international test takers come from engineering and technology programs with rigorous mathematics preparation. The practical effect: your Quant score needs to be meaningfully higher than your Verbal score to represent the same relative standing among test takers.
Most Ivy League programs do not publish hard GRE cutoffs, and many have moved to test-optional admissions. For programs that still require GRE: Harvard Business School’s Class of 2027 reported middle-80 percent GRE ranges of 158-168 Verbal and 159-169 Quant. For STEM PhD programs at MIT and Harvard, admitted cohorts typically cluster around Quant 167-169. Humanities programs at Yale, Columbia, and Princeton typically see Verbal scores of 163 or above and AWA of 4.5-5.0 in competitive applicants. Check each program’s current requirements directly, as policies have changed frequently since 2020.
GRE requirements vary by program. A significant number of graduate programs, including at highly selective universities, are now test-optional or test-blind, a trend accelerated since 2020. Many programs in psychology, biology, economics, and literature that once required the GRE now make it optional. Some business programs, law schools, and professional programs still require it. Before beginning GRE preparation, verify your specific target programs’ current policy. You can check each program’s admissions page or contact the graduate admissions office directly. For ETS official test policies, see ets.org/gre.
In the current ETS data window (July 2022-June 2025), the 90th percentile on Verbal Reasoning corresponds to approximately 163. For Quantitative Reasoning, the 90th percentile is not directly reachable by a single integer score because it falls between 168 (80th percentile) and 169 (85th percentile) and 170 (89th percentile). In practice, the 90th Quant percentile would require a score above 170, which is the maximum. For Analytical Writing, a score of 5.0 corresponds to the 93rd percentile, making a 4.5 or 5.0 a strong AWA target for competitive applicants.
GRE scores are valid for five years from the test date. A GRE taken in October 2023 is valid through October 2028. Most programs specify that submitted GRE scores must be from tests taken within the five-year window. If you took the GRE more than five years before your application deadline, you would need to retake the exam. ETS can send official scores to programs for tests taken within the five-year validity window.
AWA is scored 0.0 to 6.0 in 0.5-point increments by a combination of one human ETS-trained reader and the ETS e-rater automated engine. Since September 2023, the AWA section includes only one task: Analyze an Issue. The Analyze an Argument task was eliminated. A 4.0 corresponds to the 63rd percentile and is considered the threshold of adequacy for most programs. Scores of 4.5 (85th percentile) and above are strong, and 5.0 (93rd percentile) and above are exceptional. Humanities, law, and policy programs weight AWA more heavily than STEM programs.
For MBA programs that accept GRE, competitive scores for top programs typically run Verbal 158-168 and Quant 159-169 based on reported admitted cohort data. Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, and comparable programs cluster in this range. For strong regional and top-25 programs, a total score of 315-320 with Verbal at 155+ and Quant at 158+ is generally competitive. Many business programs now accept GRE and GMAT on equivalent terms. The GRE conversion tool at ETS allows programs to compare GRE and GMAT performance on common terms.
GRE percentile calculators are only as accurate as the data they use. ETS updates its reference population data annually each July. This calculator uses the current July 2022-June 2025 window from ETS’s 2026-27 Interpretive Data document. Many competing tools still use the older July 2021-June 2024 window, which produces slightly different figures (for example, Verbal 160 = 84th in the old window vs. 82nd in the current one). For the most authoritative data, always refer to the ETS official Interpretive Data PDF at ets.org/gre/score-users/interpret-scores.html. Total score percentiles from any calculator are estimates; ETS does not publish an official combined percentile.
Related Free Calculators for Graduate School Planning
Percentile ranks shown for Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing are derived from ETS’s Interpreting Your GRE Scores: 2026–27 document, which reflects test takers from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025. The total (V+Q) score percentile is a modeled estimate based on a normal distribution approximation; ETS does not publish an official combined score percentile. Field average scores are approximate figures based on ETS Table 2 data and should be treated as directional benchmarks.
Program admission benchmarks described in this tool are directional guidance based on reported admitted cohort data from institutional profiles and public disclosures. Graduate programs do not publish official minimum GRE cutoffs in most cases, and many programs are test-optional or test-blind. This tool is for informational and planning purposes only. Always verify current GRE requirements and admitted score ranges directly with each target program’s graduate admissions office.
GRE is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS). USCalculators.com is not affiliated with ETS and does not represent or endorse ETS products or services. This tool is an independent educational resource.