GRE Percentiles and Score Conversion Chart (2026 Update)
Complete GRE Percentile & Score Chart
Calculated Distribution for GRE Verbal & Quantitative Reasoning (130-170).
Score (130-170)
Verbal Percentile
Verbal Rarity
Quant Percentile
Quant Rarity
170Perfect Score
99%
1 in 100
96%
1 in 25
169
99%
1 in 100
93%
1 in 14
168
98%
1 in 50
89%
1 in 9
167
97%
1 in 33
85%
1 in 6.6
166
96%
1 in 25
81%
1 in 5.2
165Highly Competitive
95%
1 in 20
76%
1 in 4.1
164
93%
1 in 14
70%
1 in 3.3
163
91%
1 in 11
65%
1 in 2.8
162
89%
1 in 9
59%
1 in 2.4
161
87%
1 in 7.6
54%
1 in 2.1
160Strong Benchmark
85%
1 in 6.6
49%
1 in 1.9
159
82%
1 in 5.5
44%
1 in 1.7
158
78%
1 in 4.5
39%
1 in 1.6
157
74%
1 in 3.8
34%
1 in 1.5
156
69%
1 in 3.2
30%
1 in 1.4
155
65%
1 in 2.8
26%
1 in 1.3
154
60%
1 in 2.5
22%
1 in 1.2
153
55%
1 in 2.2
18%
1 in 1.2
152
50%
1 in 2.0
15%
1 in 1.1
151Mean Verbal (Approx)
46%
1 in 1.8
12%
1 in 1.1
150
41%
1 in 1.6
10%
1 in 1.1
148
32%
1 in 1.4
6%
Bottom 10%
145
20%
1 in 1.2
3%
Bottom 10%
140
8%
Bottom 10%
1%
Bottom
135
2%
Bottom
1%
Bottom
130
1%
Bottom
1%
Bottom
Understanding the GRE Distribution Data
The chart above outlines the official percentiles for the General Test provided by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The GRE is scored on a scale of 130 to 170 for both the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections. However, you will immediately notice that the percentiles for the two sections do not align.
The "Skewed" Quant Curve vs. The Verbal Curve
Because the GRE is taken by a large volume of applicants entering highly technical STEM master's and Ph.D. programs, the top of the Quantitative curve is incredibly crowded. A perfect 170 on Quant is only the 96th percentile—meaning roughly 4 out of every 100 test-takers get a flawless score.
Conversely, the Verbal section follows a much more traditional Gaussian distribution. A perfect 170 on Verbal lands you squarely in the 99th percentile. Therefore, a 160 on Verbal is a much rarer achievement (85th percentile) than a 160 on Quant (49th percentile).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good GRE score?
A "good" score is highly dependent on your intended field of study. Engineering, computer science, and hard science programs typically look for Quant scores of 165+ and are more forgiving on Verbal. Conversely, humanities, social sciences, and education programs often look for Verbal scores of 160+ and are more flexible on Quant.
Did the shorter GRE format change the percentiles?
No. While ETS reduced the length of the GRE in late 2023 (making the test just under two hours), the scoring scale of 130-170 remained exactly the same, and the percentiles remain anchored to the same three-year rolling performance pool.
Methodology:
The percentiles presented in this chart reflect aggregated data reported by ETS for all test takers over a three-year rolling window. Because ETS rounds percentiles to the nearest whole number, slight statistical overlaps occur at the top and bottom of the testing distributions. Percentile Rank Formula: $PR = \frac{CF - (0.5 \times f)}{N} \times 100$
Where $CF$ is cumulative frequency, $f$ is frequency of the score, and $N$ is total test-takers within the specific subject section.
