GRE Score Percentiles: Range, Chart & Averages (2026)

The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is a standardized test run by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and required for admission into many graduate programs across nearly every field. If you're applying to graduate school for the 2026–2027 cycle, understanding GRE score percentiles is critical. They don't just show your raw performance. They show how you stack up against other test takers, and that comparison is a key piece of how admissions committees read your file.

The GRE remains one of the most widely used standardized test scores for applicants to graduate programs worldwide. But test takers often misread how GRE scores, percentiles, scaled score conversions, and section dynamics actually work. In a landscape where even a 165 quantitative reasoning score has slipped in percentile value, context is everything.

This guide explains how the GRE is scored, what counts as a good GRE score, the latest GRE score percentiles and charts, how your percentile rank is calculated, and how to improve your GRE percentile. We close with tactical insights pulled straight from real test takers.

Every percentile in this guide comes from the official ETS GRE General Test Interpretive Data (Tables 1B and 1C), based on all 927,000+ test takers who tested between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2024. This is the reference group ETS uses on score reports through 2026. ETS refreshes it each July, so percentiles shift slightly year to year. If you find a site showing a 160 Quant at the 61st percentile, you're looking at an older window. The current number is the 50th.

Quick Look: GRE Scoring And Percentiles (2026)

Here is the fast version before we dig in. The table below shows each section's score range, the average score among recent test takers, and the scaled score that lands you near the 95th percentile.

A 165 verbal reasoning score sits at the 95th percentile, but a 165 quant score only reaches the 67th. To break the top 5% in quant, you essentially need a perfect score. That gap is the single most important thing to understand about GRE percentiles, and we explain why below.

Read: How Long Is the GRE? Test Length, Section Breakdown, and Timing Tips

What is the GRE Max Score And Score Range?

The GRE max score is 340. Each of the two main sections, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, is scored on a scaled score between 130 and 170 in one-point increments, so 170 plus 170 gives you the highest GRE score of 340. The Analytical Writing section is scored separately on a 0 to 6 scale in half-point increments and does not count toward your total GRE score or your overall score.

GRE subject test scores use their own scales and are largely unrelated to the general test, so this guide focuses on the GRE General Test. One more thing worth stating up front: ETS does not publish a percentile for your total GRE score, only for each section. Any "total percentile" you see is an estimate.

New GRE Format And Key Changes

Since September 2023, the GRE General Test has used a shorter format that runs about 1 hour and 58 minutes. The current 2026 structure has five sections: two Verbal Reasoning, two Quantitative Reasoning, and one Analytical Writing. There is no unscored experimental section and no scheduled break.

A few specifics matter for how your raw score becomes a percentile:

• Both verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections are section-level adaptive. Your performance on the first section sets the difficulty of the second, which in turn affects your scaled score. ETS scores verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing on separate scales.
• The analytical writing section now has a single task, "Analyze an Issue," instead of two.
• Because the test is adaptive, your raw score (number correct) is not meaningful on its own. ETS converts it to a scaled score, then maps that to a percentile rank based on how other test takers performed.

Read: How Long Is Each GRE Section? Timing Tips for Every Part of the Test

How GRE Percentile Ranks and Score Percentiles Are Defined

A GRE percentile rank is the percentage of test takers who scored below you on a given section. If your quant score is in the 76th percentile, you scored better than 76% of other test takers on that section. Raw and scaled scores tell you how many questions you answered correctly. Your percentile tells admissions committees how you compare to everyone else, which is what they actually weigh. ETS reports separate percentile scores for verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing.

Let's break the chain down.

From raw score to scaled score to percentile rank

On test day, every correct answer adds to your raw score. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so your raw score is a simple count of correct responses. ETS then converts that raw score into a scaled score:

• 130–170 for Verbal Reasoning
• 130–170 for Quantitative Reasoning

This conversion is not linear. It reflects question difficulty and your performance across both sections, since the GRE is section-level adaptive. Finally, ETS maps your scaled score to a percentile rank built from real testing data across hundreds of thousands of exams. Those percentiles change over time.

Why GRE percentiles are dynamic (and getting more competitive)

GRE percentiles are not frozen. ETS updates its interpretive data every July based on how the test-taker population is performing. As scores shift, so do the distributions, and your percentile rank for the same scaled score moves with them.

This is why a score that ranked in the 65th percentile a few years ago might now fall in the 55th. The effect is sharpest in Quantitative Reasoning, where more test takers are posting high scores and squeezing the top bands together.

We are seeing it firsthand in the current data. A 160 quant score, once the 61st percentile, now sits at the 50th. A 165, which used to break into the 90s, now lands at the 67th. One test taker in the r/GRE community summed up the dynamic well:

"The percentile of a given Quant score keeps going down. For the same reason, the percentile of a given Verbal score goes up."

This trend is called percentile compression, and it is very real in quant. As more test takers prep smarter, small score gains in the upper ranges (like 165 to 170) move you fewer percentile points than similar jumps in the midrange (155 to 160).

How your GRE percentile score is calculated

ETS uses your scaled score, not your raw score, to set your GRE percentile ranking:

1. Your raw score is the number of correct answers.
2. That raw score is converted to a scaled GRE score (130–170 for verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning).
3. ETS calculates your percentile rank from current score distributions across other test takers.

The GRE is section-level adaptive, so your performance on the first section affects the difficulty of the second. That makes the raw-to-scaled conversion a bit opaque, which is exactly why percentiles matter more than counting questions.

Pro tip: Aim to beat the percentile benchmark for your target program, not just the average score.

The GRE Sections at a Glance

The GRE General Test has five sections taken over about 1 hour and 58 minutes, online at home or at a Prometric test center. Both the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections are section-level adaptive, so a strong first section unlocks a harder, higher-scoring second section. Verbal and quant are scored 130 to 170; analytical writing is scored 0 to 6.

Verbal Reasoning

The verbal reasoning section includes reading comprehension, text completion, and sentence equivalence questions. It tests your ability to draw conclusions, identify main points, and understand how words and sentences work in context. Many test takers find text completion and sentence equivalence the toughest. The average verbal reasoning score is 151.21. The first section is 18 minutes with 12 questions; the second is 23 minutes with 15 questions.

Explore: Crush the GRE Verbal Section by Paul G.

Quantitative Reasoning

This section tests your ability to reason with quantitative information across arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. An on-screen calculator is provided, and you do not need higher-level math like calculus. The average quantitative reasoning score is 157.58. The first quant section is 21 minutes with 12 questions; the second is 26 minutes with 15 questions.

Read: GRE Quantitative Reasoning: Topics, Timing, Scores, & Tips

Analytical Writing

The analytical writing section is 30 minutes with one task that asks you to analyze an issue and build a coherent argument backed by reasoning and evidence (with clean grammar and spelling, of course). With only 30 minutes, smart time use matters, so outline first. The average analytical writing score is 3.44 on the 0 to 6 scale, scored in half-point increments.

Key highlights:

• The GRE General Test is now about 1 hour and 58 minutes, far shorter than the old version.
• It has five sections: two verbal reasoning, two quantitative reasoning, and one analytical writing.
• Both the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections are section-level adaptive.
• The analytical writing section has one task, "Analyze an Issue," instead of two.
• Verbal and quant are scored 130–170; analytical writing is scored 0–6 in half-point increments.
• The test is available online at home or at a test center.

Read: How to Prepare for the GRE Analytical Writing Section

GRE Score Chart: Verbal And Quantitative Percentiles (2026)

The chart below shows official ETS percentiles for selected verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning scores, based on test takers from July 2021 through June 2024. Notice how far apart the two columns sit at the same scaled score.

Expert insight: A 165 verbal score is in the top 5%, but the same 165 quant score is only in the top 33%. Quantitative reasoning scores are far more competitive at the top, so a "balanced" 320 (160V/160Q) actually sends two very different signals: 84th percentile verbal, 50th percentile quant. At the most selective top programs, the verbal reasoning and quantitative split on your report often says more than the total.

Want every single score? ETS publishes the full one-point increments table in its GRE General Test Interpretive Data. The selected rows above are the ones most applicants benchmark against.

GRE Score Chart: Analytical Writing Percentiles (2026)

Because analytical writing is scored in half-point increments, the jumps between scores are large. Here is how each analytical writing score maps to a percentile rank in the current ETS data.

Your analytical writing score is judged by both a trained human reader and a computer algorithm (the e-rater). Test takers often overlook this section, but many graduate programs, especially in humanities and social sciences, weigh analytical writing scores heavily. Note the cliff: moving from a 3.0 to a 4.0 takes you from the 17th to the 63rd percentile, one of the biggest percentile jumps available anywhere on the test.

Average GRE Score Benchmarks

The average GRE score (verbal plus quant combined) among recent test takers lands around 309. At the section level:

• Average verbal reasoning score: 151.21
• Average quant score: 157.58
• Average analytical writing score: 3.44

These averages tell you where you stand against typical test takers, not against elite programs. Be careful: "average" is not the same as "acceptable" for top graduate school programs.

GRE Score Ranges By Field Of Study

Different fields reward different sections. The table below shows average GRE scores by intended graduate major field, drawn from ETS Table 4A (based on seniors and non-enrolled college graduates).

Notice how each intended graduate major leans on different sections. A physical sciences applicant is expected to be strong on the quant side, while a humanities applicant is judged more on the verbal side, where verbal scores and analytical writing scores carry the weight. Your verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning scores matter differently depending on your goals, and so do their corresponding percentiles. (ETS draws its by-field averages from the 2018–2021 testing window, the most recent major-field data published, so treat these as directional.)

What Counts As A Good GRE Score In 2026?

A good GRE score is not a single number; it is context. Admissions committees read your percentile rank relative to other test takers, compare it against the score ranges of admitted students in your target programs, and then weigh it against your full application (GPA, essays, research, recommendations, and experience).

In short, "good" means good enough for your goals: not perfect, but competitive within your applicant pool.

What Counts As A "Bad" GRE Score, And What To Do About It

There is no universally bad GRE score. What matters is whether your score rules you out at the schools you are targeting. A 152 verbal reasoning score might be fine for one particular program and a dealbreaker for another.

That said, a few zones tend to raise flags:

• Below 145 in verbal or quantitative usually places you in the bottom 20% of test takers.
• A total score under 300 (verbal plus quant) reads as below average for many master's and PhD programs with heavy academic expectations.
• An analytical writing score under 3.0 makes writing-intensive programs question your readiness for graduate-level work.

Even in these ranges, your application is not doomed. It means you respond strategically, by retaking with a plan or strengthening the rest of your file.

General Benchmarks By GRE Total Score

Insider insight: Most graduate programs do not use hard cutoffs. They look for evidence that you can handle the academic rigor. In data-heavy fields (engineering, CS, finance), committees fixate on your quantitative reasoning score and percentile rank. In writing-intensive or theory-based fields (literature, law, philosophy), verbal reasoning and analytical writing carry more weight. Some programs treat the GRE as a sanity check, so it just needs to avoid being a red flag. Others, especially elite PhDs and quant-focused master's programs, use it as a proxy for your academic ceiling.

If you are unsure where you stand, look up the published GRE score ranges and GRE requirements for admitted students at your target schools, then aim for at least the 75th percentile in your field's most relevant section. Keep in mind that requirements can differ between programs at the same school, so a department page beats a general admissions page.

Read: What Is a Good GRE Score? Percentiles, Targets, and What Schools Want

If you need help reaching a good score, work 1:1 with a top GRE coach.

Real-World Takeaways: 2026 GRE Percentile Surprises

When ETS posted the updated percentile data, test takers and tutors in the r/GRE community reacted in real time. Their discussion explains the why behind the numbers better than any chart can.

The headline shock was the top of the quant scale. As one well-known tutor (a 340 scorer) put it when the data dropped: "A 170 in quant is now 92 percentile?! Jeez." A perfect quant score no longer means a perfect percentile, because so many test takers now cluster at the top.

The most useful explanation in the thread came from a self-described admissions insider, who tied the compression to test-optional policies rather than a harder exam:

"The GRE has become optional for many/most MA and PhD programs since COVID. The exceptions are highly quantitative programs ... A 160 used to be about the 80th percentile. Now, most students who would not have done as well on the quant portion aren't taking the test at all. So most of the GRE takers are the more quant-inclined students, and it is shaping the quant score distribution."

Another commenter described the same selection effect from the test taker's side, and noted the mirror-image trend on verbal:

"Hence, the percentile of a given quant score goes down. For the same reason, the percentile of a given verbal score goes up."

A few more grounded takeaways from the thread:

• The raw-to-scaled math is brutal at the top of quant - Test takers debated how many misses you can afford for a 170Q. One reported that -1 (a single wrong answer) still yields 170 and -2 might be 169, while another countered that three mistakes dropped them to 167. The lesson: near the ceiling, every careless error is expensive.
• "Average" school scores and "required" percentiles are different things - As one experienced commenter explained, a program's published average GRE score (say, a 163 quant) does not change just because ETS updated its percentile tables. But if a program requires a specific percentile, compression can raise the bar. One user noted that a top economics program requiring the 90th percentile in quant now effectively demands a 170Q.
• Most programs read your overall score, not just one percentile - An incoming MBA student with a 167 quant (around the 70th percentile) reported it "didn't matter much" in their business school journey, because committees weighed the total profile.

The throughline is consistent with the official data: percentile curves are tightening, quant especially, and percentile compression is driven by who takes the test now, not by a tougher exam.

GRE Score Reporting and Validity

A few logistics that affect how and when your scores reach graduate schools:

• You see unofficial verbal and quantitative scores on screen immediately after the test.
• Your official GRE score report (with analytical writing and percentiles) posts to your ETS account in about 8–10 days, faster than the old format's 10–15 days.
• You can send additional score reports to graduate schools for a fee.
• Your GRE test scores are valid for 5 years from your test date.
• You can retake the GRE every 21 days, up to 5 times in any rolling 12-month period.
• ETS's ScoreSelect option lets you choose which whole test dates to send. You cannot mix the best section scores across different dates.

If you fell short of your target score, use your section percentiles to decide which section to attack before you book a retake.

Improving Your GRE Percentile Score

Most students chase a higher GRE score without realizing that percentile rank is the real currency. Admissions committees compare you to other test takers, and your percentile is what tells them how you measure up. A 160 quant score looks impressive until you learn it sits at the 50th percentile, dead center of the pack.

Real gains come from leverage, not just more hours. Below are the tactics top scorers and GRE coaches use to unlock percentile jumps that raw effort alone can't explain.

Identify and target the percentile cliffs

Not all points are worth the same. Some increases unlock large percentile jumps, especially in the middle of the quant and verbal ranges. Moving from 160 to 165 in quant takes you from the 50th percentile to the 67th, a 17-point leap. But going from 165 to 170 only moves you from 67th to 91st across five scaled points, with diminishing returns near the top.

Find these leverage zones by studying the most recent ETS percentile tables. Pinpoint where a two- or three-point gain pushes you into a new tier. If you are stuck at 159 quant near the 47th percentile, a jump to 165 vaults you to the 67th. That kind of targeting beats a generic "study more" plan every time.

Focus on the section that moves your application

Sections do not carry equal weight for every applicant. Engineering, computer science, and data science programs scrutinize your quantitative reasoning percentile far more than your verbal score. Law, humanities, and public policy programs flip that, leaning on verbal and analytical writing.

Figure out which section gives your application the most signal, then load your study time there instead of splitting it evenly. The smartest applicants tailor their section scores to what their field rewards.

Train with official GRE materials, not "GRE-like" content

Third-party tests often misrepresent how questions are calibrated, which leads to false confidence and inaccurate percentile estimates. Use ETS official materials for your mock exams. The PowerPrep Online practice tests and official GRE practice questions are calibrated to the real exam and give you scaled scores that reflect where you actually stand. Keep a running log of both your scaled scores and your estimated percentile ranks so you can spot plateaus.

Simulate real test conditions every time

You can know the content cold and still underperform if you have not trained your pacing and focus. The GRE is shorter now, but it still demands sustained attention with no scheduled break. Recreate test-day conditions in every full-length practice: same time of day, no distractions, strict timing, and the same tools you'll use on test day (on-screen calculator, scratch work). Familiarity raises your percentile even when your knowledge hasn't changed.

Use micro-drills to fix specific weaknesses

Instead of grinding full-length tests on repeat, break prep into focused micro-drills. For quant, that might be 15-question sets on data interpretation, word problems, or geometry. For verbal, sentence equivalence, reading inference, or text completion. This builds pattern recognition and converts your weakest question types into neutral or strong ones, which is where real percentile movement comes from.

Track and eliminate repeated mistakes

Most test takers lose more points to repeated errors than to genuinely hard questions. Keep a mistake journal: for every miss, log the question type, the reason (careless slip, concept gap, timing), and the fix. The goal is a system that catches recurring patterns and replaces them with better habits. Top scorers don't just avoid mistakes; they avoid making the same one twice.

Retake with a strategy, not just hope

You can retake the GRE up to five times per year with a 21-day gap, but retaking without a new approach usually repeats the result. Use your official GRE score report to find the section dragging down your overall percentile. If your verbal is stuck at 152 while quant is at 165, that imbalance may be hurting you. Treat your first test as a diagnostic, your second as an upgrade, and any test after that as a deliberate move. If you plateau after two attempts, bring in a coach or a structured GRE prep program. Many GRE prep courses are built around exactly this kind of data-driven retake plan, and current students often share which strategies moved their scores the most.

Read: GRE Study Plan & Schedule: 1, 3, & 6-Month Templates (From a Pro Tutor)

The Real Goal: Percentile Leverage

Top scorers treat the GRE like a competitive benchmark, not a math test or a vocab quiz. They know exactly which scores move them from average to standout, and they spend their energy there with surgical focus. To climb from the 50th percentile to the 75th in quant, or the 40th to the 60th in verbal, you don't need more hours. You need the right points, in the right sections, with the right materials, under the right conditions.

Sample Score Scenarios and Interpretation

Read these by the percentile tier they land you in, not the raw total, since percentile rank is what drives how your GRE scores compare to other test takers.

Summary: What To Know About GRE Percentiles

• GRE percentiles, not raw test scores, are what admissions committees use to contextualize your test performance.
• Because other test takers keep improving, percentile curves shift, especially in quantitative reasoning, where the top bands are tightest right now.
• A good GRE score is defined relative to your target discipline, not an abstract number.
• Small section gains in the "cliff" zones often produce larger percentile gains than chasing a perfect score.
• Use official ETS materials, simulate test-day conditions, and systematically eliminate repeat errors.
• If repeated retakes stall, change your method or bring in coaching.

The Bottom Line

The GRE is still a core part of many graduate school applications, especially as a way to benchmark yourself against other test takers. With the shorter format and increasingly competitive percentiles in quant, strategy matters more than ever. Rather than chasing a perfect score, target the percentiles that align with your programs. A strong GRE helps, but it's one piece of a holistic application. Aim for balance, clarity, and impact across every element.

Ace the GRE with the Help of an Expert

Understanding percentiles is the start; raising your score takes strategy, structure, and expert feedback. Whether you're aiming for 330+ or trying to lift one section, a top 1% GRE coach can help you target weak spots, build a custom plan, and stay accountable. Get personalized support from tutors who have done it themselves and helped hundreds of others do the same. Browse all GRE coaches here, and check out GRE bootcamps and free events for more insights.

See: The 10 Best GRE Tutors

For more resources to help you ace the GRE and navigate graduate applications:

• GMAT vs. GRE for Business School—Which Should You Take (and How to Ace Both)
• GMAT Study Tips From Pro Tutors: From 600 to 700+
• GRE Algebra: Guide, Formulas, Tips, & Practice Questions
• GRE Data Analysis: Guide, Formulas, Tips, & Practice Questions
• GRE Arithmetic: Guide, Formulas, Tips, & Practice Questions
• GRE Geometry: Guide, Formulas, Tips, & Practice Questions
• GRE Quantitative Practice Resources: Where to Find the Best Questions & Practice Tests

FAQs about GRE percentiles

What is the perfect GRE score?

• The perfect score on the GRE General Test is 340 (170 quant plus 170 verbal). But a perfect score isn't necessary for most programs, and percentile differences flatten out near the top, especially on verbal.

What is the highest GRE score?

• The highest GRE score is 340, combining a 170 verbal reasoning score and a 170 quantitative reasoning score. The analytical writing section is scored separately, with a maximum of 6.0.

Can I improve my GRE percentile just by retaking the test?

• Only if the retake comes with smarter prep. Retaking with the same strategy usually produces minimal percentile movement. Use your score report to target the weakest section first.

What percentile is a 320 total GRE score?

• ETS does not publish total GRE percentiles, so a 320 has to be estimated from the split. A 320 made of 160V/160Q maps to roughly the 84th percentile verbal and 50th percentile quant. A 320 made of 155V/165Q would read very differently. This is why the split matters more than the total.

What percentile is 165 in quant in 2026?

• In the current ETS data, a 165 quant score is the 67th percentile. That same 165 on verbal is the 95th percentile, a clear example of how much more competitive quant has become.

How many wrong answers can you afford and still score at the top of quant?

• ETS does not publish raw-to-scaled conversions, and they vary by test form and the section-adaptive design, so treat any specific count as anecdotal. Test takers in the r/GRE community report that a single wrong answer can still yield a 170 quant score, while two or three misses may drop you to 167–169. The practical takeaway: near the top of the quant scale, careless errors are unusually costly, so accuracy on easy and medium questions matters as much as cracking the hardest ones.

Are GRE subject test scores included in this analysis?

• No. This guide covers GRE General Test scores. GRE subject test scores use their own scales and percentile systems.

How long is the GRE score valid?

• GRE scores are valid for 5 years from your test date. You can report them to graduate schools anytime within that window.