TL;DR: A 160 Quant is the 50th percentile. A 160 Verbal is the 84th percentile. These two sections use the same 130-170 scale but have completely different distributions because the GRE test-taking pool is STEM-heavy. For competitive MBA programs, aim for a combined score near 325 (roughly 162-163 per section). Never set score targets without first checking your specific programs' averages.
A 160 in Quant puts you at the 50th percentile. A 160 in Verbal puts you at the 84th percentile. Same number, radically different standing relative to other test takers. If you do not understand this asymmetry before you start preparing, you will almost certainly set the wrong targets.
This guide breaks down the full percentile tables, explains why the two sections behave so differently, and connects that to what scores actually matter for graduate and MBA programs.
The Full Percentile Tables
Quantitative Reasoning Percentiles
| Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 170 | 91st |
| 168 | 84th |
| 165 | 67th |
| 163 | 57th |
| 160 | 50th |
| 158 | 44th |
| 155 | 37th |
| 152 | 30th |
| 150 | 25th |
| 148 | 20th |
| 145 | 14th |
Verbal Reasoning Percentiles
| Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 170 | 99th |
| 168 | 98th |
| 165 | 95th |
| 163 | 91st |
| 160 | 84th |
| 158 | 78th |
| 155 | 65th |
| 152 | 53rd |
| 150 | 46th |
| 148 | 39th |
| 145 | 28th |
Read those tables carefully. A 165 in Quant is the 67th percentile. A 165 in Verbal is the 95th percentile. The score that represents "very good" in Verbal represents "slightly above average" in Quant.
Why Are Quant Percentiles Compressed?
The compression in Quant percentiles is not a quirk of test design. It reflects who takes the GRE.
About 206,000 people take the GRE each year. The largest test-taking population is from India (roughly 113,000 test takers annually), followed by the United States (97,000) and China (58,000). The international population skews heavily toward engineering, computer science, and technical fields. These test takers tend to arrive with strong quantitative foundations.
The result: the Quant score distribution is bunched at the top. A large percentage of test takers score above 160 in Quant. Getting a 170 in Quant only places you in the 91st percentile because roughly 9 percent of all test takers also score 170. Perfect Quant scores are not rare.
Verbal tells the opposite story. Strong English-language verbal reasoning is less evenly distributed across the international test-taking pool. A 165 Verbal is genuinely exceptional relative to most test takers. A perfect 170 Verbal reaches the 99th percentile.
The Practical Implication for Score Goals
If you are strong in Quant and weaker in Verbal, a very high Quant score will not compensate as much as you might expect. Moving from 155 to 165 in Quant shifts you from the 37th to the 67th percentile. The same 10-point move in Verbal shifts you from the 65th to the 95th percentile.
Per point of improvement, Verbal is significantly more valuable in terms of percentile gain. This does not mean you should ignore Quant. It means the bang-per-hour of study is often higher on Verbal for students who already have a solid Quant foundation.
For students who are strong in Verbal and weaker in Quant, the calculation cuts differently. Most elite MBA programs and many STEM graduate programs weight Quant heavily. A 165 Verbal with a 148 Quant will raise flags. The Quant floor for competitive programs is generally in the 158-163 range. Below that, admissions committees notice.
Average Scores by Field of Study
Average GRE scores vary significantly by intended graduate program. This context matters when assessing whether your score is strong within your applicant pool.
Arts and Humanities: Average Verbal around 156, average Quant around 152. Verbal performance is the key differentiator in this pool.
Business: Average Verbal around 153, average Quant around 159. The Quant average is relatively high, reflecting the quantitative background many business school applicants bring.
Engineering: Average Verbal around 151, average Quant around 161. The highest average Quant scores of any major category. Verbal is where engineering applicants most commonly have room to improve.
Social Sciences: Average Verbal around 154, average Quant around 152.
Life Sciences: Average Verbal around 150, average Quant around 150.
Physical Sciences: Average Verbal around 154, average Quant around 160.
These are population averages for the full test-taking group in each field. The applicant pool at selective programs is narrower and scores higher. If you are applying to a top-20 program, treat these field averages as a floor, not a ceiling.
What Scores MBA Programs Actually Want
For MBA programs that accept the GRE, the relevant benchmark is not the general population percentile. It is how your score compares to enrolled students at your target schools.
Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB both average around 164 Verbal and 164 Quant (combined 328). Wharton averages 162 Verbal and 163 Quant (combined 325). MIT Sloan averages 163 Verbal and 165 Quant (combined 328).
These schools report these as averages, meaning half of enrolled students score above and half score below. A score at or above the average is competitive. A score meaningfully below the average (say, 10 or more combined points) is a weakness your application will need to overcome elsewhere.
For deferred MBA programs, the bar is the same. There is no separate lower standard for undergraduate applicants.
For programs outside the top 10, the score ranges vary. Many strong M7-adjacent programs (think top 15-25) have average scores in the 315-325 range. Regional programs often accept applicants in the 305-315 range. Know your specific target programs before deciding whether your score is adequate.
How Percentiles Have Shifted
Quant percentile cutoffs have risen incrementally over the past decade as the GRE-taking population has grown more STEM-heavy. A 160 Quant was around the 57th percentile in earlier years and now sits at approximately the 50th percentile. This compression is slow but directional: the same raw Quant score buys you a slightly lower percentile rank than it did five years ago.
Verbal percentile rankings have been relatively stable. There has not been a dramatic shift in where scores fall on the Verbal distribution.
For practical planning purposes, treat the 2026 percentile tables above as current. Do not rely on percentile data from resources more than 2-3 years old, particularly for Quant.
The AWA Percentile
AWA uses a 0-6 scale in half-point increments. The average is 3.56. Most test takers score between 3.0 and 4.5.
A score of 5.0 or above puts you in roughly the top 10-15 percent of test takers. A 4.0 is at approximately the 55th percentile. A 3.0 is around the 30th percentile.
For most programs, AWA is a threshold measure rather than a ranking factor. As long as you score above 3.5, most programs will not raise concerns. PhD programs in writing-intensive fields may look more carefully, but even there, a 4.0 to 4.5 is typically sufficient.
Do not invest heavy study time in AWA unless your writing baseline suggests you might score below 3.5. For most test takers, time spent on Verbal and Quant improvement produces far more admissions value.
How to Use Percentiles to Set Study Targets
Working backward from a target score is more useful than working forward from a starting point.
Identify 3 to 5 programs you are genuinely targeting. Look up their average or median GRE scores for enrolled students. Convert those to the raw score you need in each section. Then take a diagnostic to find out where you currently score.
The gap between your diagnostic score and your target score, translated into the percentile shift required, tells you how much your score needs to move. A 10-point Verbal improvement in the middle of the score range (150 to 160) shifts you from the 46th to the 84th percentile. That is a large percentile gain and a realistic study goal for most motivated test takers with 6 to 8 weeks of preparation.
A 10-point Quant improvement in the same range (150 to 160) shifts you from the 25th to the 50th percentile. Still meaningful, but the percentile impact is smaller relative to the work required.
Take a free GRE diagnostic at The Deferred MBA to get your real starting scores in both sections. Working from actual data is faster and more reliable than estimating where you are based on how the material feels.
What to Do Next
- Look up the published average GRE scores for your 3-5 target programs and write down the exact Verbal and Quant numbers, not combined totals.
- Take the free diagnostic to find your current baseline, then calculate the specific percentile gap between where you are and where each program's average sits.
- If you are strong in Quant and weak in Verbal, shift the majority of your remaining prep time to Verbal. Per point of effort, the percentile gain in Verbal is larger.
- Use the 2026 percentile tables in this guide, not older resources. Quant percentiles have shifted downward over the past five years and older charts will give you inflated estimates of where you stand.
The Short Version
- Quant and Verbal percentiles are not comparable. The same score means something fundamentally different in each section.
- Quant percentiles are compressed because the test-taking population is STEM-heavy and internationally concentrated in countries with strong quantitative education systems.
- A 160 Quant is average. A 160 Verbal is good.
- For elite MBA programs, aim for a combined score near or above 325 (roughly 162-163 per section).
- Per point of effort, Verbal improvement tends to produce larger percentile gains for students who already have a functional Quant foundation.
- Set your targets based on specific programs, not general population averages.
The GRE course is $25 per month with a free diagnostic to show where your score sits relative to the program-specific floors above. For a direct assessment of how your test scores fit into your full application, coaching covers the complete picture.
