GRE Percentile Calculator
Turn a GRE Verbal or Quant scaled score into its percentile rank.
A score of 160 is higher than about 84% of test takers. Approximate, based on ETS published percentile data.
A GRE percentile rank turns your 130–170 scaled score into the share of test-takers you scored above, using ETS published data. The same number ranks differently by section: a Verbal 160 is about the 84th percentile, while a Quant 160 is only about the 70th. These ranks are approximate, since ETS refreshes them periodically.
How a GRE percentile works
Your scaled score on each section runs from 130 to 170 and is fixed. The percentile rank translates that number into context: it is the share of test-takers you scored above. A percentile is not a conversion from one scale to another — it is a lookup into the distribution of everyone who took the test.
This tool uses separate tables for Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, because the same scaled score sits at a very different percentile on each section.
How to read your rank
- 1 Pick the section. Verbal and Quant use different distributions, so choose the one you are checking.
- 2 Enter your scaled score. Any whole number from 130 to 170.
- 3 Read the percentile. A Verbal 160 is about the 84th percentile, but a Quant 160 is only about the 70th — the same number, different standing.
GRE scaled score → percentile
Approximate, based on ETS published percentile data; ETS updates these periodically.
| Scaled score | Verbal %ile | Quant %ile |
|---|---|---|
| 170 | 99 | 96 |
| 168 | 98 | 93 |
| 165 | 95 | 85 |
| 162 | 89 | 76 |
| 160 | 84 | 70 |
| 158 | 78 | 62 |
| 155 | 67 | 51 |
| 152 | 55 | 40 |
| 150 | 47 | 33 |
| 145 | 27 | 19 |
| 140 | 12 | 9 |
| 135 | 4 | 3 |
| 130 | 1 | 1 |
Why Verbal and Quant differ
Quant scores skew higher across the test-taking pool — many strong applicants cluster near the top — so a given number is a lower percentile on Quant than on Verbal. A 165 is the 95th percentile on Verbal but only the 85th on Quant. This is why programs in different fields weight the two sections differently.
What counts as a good score
It depends entirely on your target programs. Many competitive programs look for scores at or above the 75th percentile in the section most relevant to the field — Quant for engineering and quantitative social sciences, Verbal for humanities. Check the median or middle-50% range your programs publish. If you are weighing business schools, the GMAT percentile calculator covers the 200–800 scale they often quote.
Caveats
These ranks are approximate, based on ETS published data, which ETS refreshes periodically as the test-taker pool changes. Treat them as a guide, not an official score report. The Analytical Writing section is scored separately and is not part of this 130–170 tool.