What this calculator does
The GRE Score Percentile Calculator converts your scaled Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores into percentile ranks. A percentile tells you what share of test-takers you outperformed, which is often more meaningful to admissions committees than the raw 130-170 number on its own.
How it works
Each scaled score from 130 to 170 maps to a fixed percentile rank published by ETS from a multi-year pool of test-takers. The tool looks up your exact score in that table. The key thing to understand is that Verbal and Quantitative have different distributions:
Verbal 160 -> ~86th percentile
Quant 160 -> ~73rd percentileQuant percentiles run lower at the high end because the test-taker population skews toward quantitative disciplines, compressing the top scores together. That is why a perfect 170 is the 99th percentile in Verbal but only about the 96th in Quant.
Tips and notes
When comparing yourself to a program’s stated averages, match the section to the field: quantitative programs weigh your Quant percentile heavily, while humanities programs focus on Verbal. Percentile tables shift slightly each year, so treat the result as a close estimate rather than an exact ETS report number. If your goal is a specific program range, pair this with the GRE target-score tool to see where competitive applicants land.
Why the same score sits at a different percentile for Verbal vs Quant
The two sections draw from different parts of the test-taking population. Many STEM applicants — engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians — take the GRE for programs that require it, and they tend to score near the top of Quant. This clusters the Quant distribution heavily in the 155–170 range, compressing percentile differences at the high end. A score of 165 Quant might represent roughly the 89th percentile, while a 165 Verbal is closer to the 97th.
For the Verbal section, the distribution is more spread out. Applicants from humanities, social science, and law-adjacent fields who take the GRE tend to push the Verbal distribution upward, but fewer test-takers score 165+ Verbal than 165+ Quant in absolute terms.
The practical implication: a top Verbal score is more differentiating than a top Quant score at the high end, and a borderline Quant score is more damaging for a STEM program than the same raw score would be for a humanities program.
Analytical Writing and how it’s reported
The GRE also includes an Analytical Writing section scored 0–6 in half-point increments. ETS publishes separate percentile tables for Analytical Writing. A 5.0 is typically above the 90th percentile. Most programs publish their middle 50% range for Verbal and Quant separately; Analytical Writing requirements vary more widely, with some programs not citing it at all and others using it as a soft filter below a certain threshold.
Superscoring and score reporting
ETS allows you to send ScoreSelect reports that include only your chosen sitting (your highest, your most recent, or a specific date). Many programs allow applicants to report only the highest Verbal and Quant from different test dates. Self-reported “superscore” practices vary — some programs will accept your self-reported combined best Verbal + best Quant; others want official scores from a single sitting. Check each program’s policy before deciding whether to retake.