GRE score percentiles tell you how your scores compare to other test-takers. Each scaled score corresponds to a percentile rank, which shows the percentage of students who scored below you. Below are the current 2026 Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing percentiles, drawn directly from ETS’s most recent interpretive data report (covering test-takers from July 2021 through June 2024). We’ll also help you figure out which GRE percentile to aim for. Let’s get to it.
GRE Scores and Percentiles: Table of Contents
- What is a good percentile on the GRE?
- The GRE’s “Big 3” Benchmarks
- What percentile is my GRE score? Try our Interactive GRE Score Percentile Calculator!
- GRE Percentiles 2026: Full Verbal, Quant, and AWA Tables
- GRE Percentile Chart 2026
- What percentile should I aim for on the GRE?
- Improving your GRE score
What is a good percentile on the GRE?
Just like a good GRE score overall, a “good” percentile on the GRE general test varies a lot, depending both on the school and the type of program. Percentiles and exam scores will be different for each section of the exam. To get an idea of how this works, let’s look at a few example standards for current GRE percentile expectations.
- The Economics PhD program at UC Davis reports that admitted applicants typically have Quant scores above the 70th percentile, paired with strong Verbal and Analytical Writing scores. There’s no published minimum, but the Quant bar is clearly the high one for this program.
- MIT’s Sloan School of Business Class of 2027 profile shows a median GRE Verbal of 162 (89th percentile) and a middle-80% Quant range of 159–170 (47th to 91st percentile). MIT no longer publishes a Verbal range alongside the median.
We can get a closer look at the GRE percentile bands for each section here:
The GRE’s “Big 3” Benchmarks
As you can see, many degree programs especially favor the 50th and 60th GRE percentile benchmarks (meaning you scored better than 50% or 60% of students who took the GRE). Other graduate admissions offices like to see you reach a benchmark score of 155 points. Additionally, some admissions programs may ask for one of these “big three” 50th/60th/155-point benchmarks on one section of the GRE, while asking for a different benchmark on another section. In short, you definitely need to do your research when determining scores that will make you a competitive applicant.
Interactive GRE Percentile Calculator
If you took a practice test or used an online GRE score calculator to predict your score, you can use those numbers to get an idea of your percentiles. Simply adjust the sliders for each section to see both your section percentiles and your GRE total score.
GRE Percentiles 2026: Full Verbal, Quant, and AWA Tables
Looking for every possible score and percentile? ETS publishes the official GRE Interpretive Data report with percentile rankings for every scaled score.
Below are the current ETS percentile tables, drawn from the 2025–2026 reporting window (test-takers from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024). The first table shows the percentile for each Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning score in one-point increments across the 130–170 scaled range. The second shows Analytical Writing percentiles in half-point increments.
Heads up on Quant percentiles: Quant percentile ranks have been declining year over year as the GRE test-taker pool gets quantitatively stronger (driven largely by growth in international test-takers from India and China). A 160 Quant was the ~61st percentile in 2023; today it’s the 50th. If you’re reading older content (including some competitor sites), the Quant percentiles you see may overstate how competitive a given score actually is. Always use the current ETS data below.
GRE Verbal & Quant Percentiles 2026
| Score | Verbal Percentile | Quantitative Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 170 | 99 | 91 |
| 169 | 99 | 86 |
| 168 | 99 | 81 |
| 167 | 98 | 76 |
| 166 | 96 | 71 |
| 165 | 95 | 67 |
| 164 | 93 | 63 |
| 163 | 91 | 60 |
| 162 | 89 | 57 |
| 161 | 86 | 53 |
| 160 | 84 | 50 |
| 159 | 80 | 47 |
| 158 | 77 | 45 |
| 157 | 73 | 42 |
| 156 | 70 | 39 |
| 155 | 65 | 37 |
| 154 | 60 | 34 |
| 153 | 55 | 31 |
| 152 | 48 | 29 |
| 151 | 43 | 26 |
| 150 | 39 | 24 |
| 149 | 34 | 21 |
| 148 | 30 | 19 |
| 147 | 27 | 17 |
| 146 | 24 | 14 |
| 145 | 21 | 12 |
| 144 | 18 | 10 |
| 143 | 16 | 9 |
| 142 | 14 | 7 |
| 141 | 12 | 6 |
| 140 | 10 | 5 |
| 139 | 8 | 4 |
| 138 | 6 | 3 |
| 137 | 5 | 2 |
| 136 | 4 | 2 |
| 135 | 3 | 1 |
| 134 | 2 | 1 |
| 133 | 2 | 1 |
| 132 | 1 | – |
| 131 | 1 | – |
| 130 | – | – |
AWA Percentiles 2026
| Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 6.0 | 99 |
| 5.5 | 98 |
| 5.0 | 93 |
| 4.5 | 85 |
| 4.0 | 63 |
| 3.5 | 43 |
| 3.0 | 17 |
| 2.5 | 8 |
| 2.0 | 3 |
| 1.5 | 1 |
| 1.0 | – |
| 0.5 | – |
| 0.0 | – |
GRE Percentile Chart 2026
The percentile tables above contain every score, but it’s easier to spot the patterns visually. The chart below shows how Verbal and Quantitative percentiles diverge across the 130–170 scaled range.
The single most important takeaway from the chart: Verbal and Quant percentiles are not equivalent at the same scaled score. A 160 puts you at the 84th percentile in Verbal but only the 50th percentile in Quant. A perfect 170 is the 99th percentile in Verbal but the 91st in Quant. The Quant pool is simply more competitive, especially at the top end, because international test-takers from STEM-heavy backgrounds skew the distribution upward.
This is why your section scores tell a more honest story than your combined score. A 320 (V=160, Q=160) is the 84th percentile in Verbal and the 50th in Quant: two very different signals to an admissions committee, even though the total looks “balanced.”
Pro tip: If you’re applying to a program where one section matters more than the other (e.g., Quant for engineering, Verbal for humanities), prioritize that section’s percentile, not your combined score. Many programs publish minimum percentile expectations by section. Check the admissions page rather than relying on the combined number.
What percentile should I aim for on the GRE?
You’re probably wondering how your GRE score percentiles affect your chances of admission. As you saw earlier from my UC Davis and MIT examples, in a very broad sense, a “good” GRE score is the percentile your target school would ideally like to see. But “aim for what your school wants” is perhaps too broad to be helpful. There are numerous factors involved in the admissions decisions and most of those aren’t determined by the GRE alone. And there are certainly a few ground rules for percentiles, no matter where you want to go to school.
My universal recommendation is that you check where you stand compared to the GRE score percentiles above. Then have a look at the forums to see other students’ experiences.
However, even if your target school allows scores in the lower ranges, such low scores could still be a red flag for an admissions officer. And if you’re below the 50th percentile in Verbal, Quant, and AWA, your score probably isn’t going to impress anyone. So although being below 50th percentile in just one section of the test isn’t always a deal-breaker, you should avoid being in the bottom half of the percentiles if possible.
How to achieve a perfect GRE Verbal Score (or get close!)
Feeling particularly ambitious? We put together a video on how to achieve a GRE Verbal score of 170! Don’t worry—even if your school doesn’t require this kind of score, you can still take advantage of these tips.
Check the scores for your academic discipline
If, for example, you’re wondering about GRE scores for your Engineering program, then your peers aren’t going to be exactly the same as the standard GRE test-takers (think: lots of math).
In this post on average GRE scores, you’ll see that the average Verbal score for Engineering applicants is 151 (the 43rd percentile in the current ETS data). Being at 50th percentile or just over (around a 153 Verbal) would put you above the typical Engineering applicant on the Verbal side. The average Quant score for Engineering applicants is 160 (the 50th percentile). To stand out on Quant, aim for at least a 163 or higher (60th percentile and above).
To figure out the best minimum percentile for your discipline, check out the rest of that table in average GRE scores post. Then compare your average score to the percentile information in this post.
For a detailed breakdown of percentiles by intended graduate major, see ETS’s GRE Snapshot of Test Takers and Interpretive Data Table 4A.
Look at requirements for your target school’s program
After checking your discipline, remember school-by-school percentile requirements are all different. And top graduate school programs like Harvard, Stanford, and the like are looking for higher GRE score percentiles than your discipline might require. This is where our post on GRE scores for top schools comes in. You can use this post to compare the scores needed for your discipline against your target school to find which GRE percentile to aim for. For top ranked business schools that also accept the GRE for their MBA programs, you’ll want to check out their average GRE scores as well.
As another example, suppose you’re applying to a competitive Biological Sciences PhD program. The nationwide average GRE scores for Life Sciences applicants are Verbal 151 (43rd percentile) and Quant 150 (24th percentile). Top programs like those at UCLA and Stanford have officially dropped GRE requirements and no longer publish admitted-student score ranges, but admissions data from comparable programs suggests competitive applicants typically land well above the national means on both sections. Practically, that means aiming for at least the 60th percentile in Verbal (~155) and the 50th percentile in Quant (~160) just to be in the conversation, with stronger scores for the most selective programs.
Improving Your GRE Score
Ultimately, knowing all about GRE score percentiles and program requirements is only part of the battle. Once you have the knowledge about what your target score should be, you need a plan to achieve it. If you’re looking to improve your GRE score percentile, think about giving Magoosh GRE prep a shot. You can start with our free GRE Prep App and see if a little extra dedication to prep helps your confidence.
