There is no universally good Rice Purity Test score. That is the complete honest answer, and most sites stop there. This guide goes further.
'Good' means three completely different things depending on who is asking and why. It means something different to a 16-year-old who wants to know if they are normal for their age. It means something different to a 22-year-old comparing with friends. And it means something different to a 30-year-old reflecting on how their score has changed over a decade.
Short answer: A good score is one that honestly reflects your actual experiences. If you answered truthfully, your score is already the 'right' score — whatever number it produces.
The Three Definitions of 'Good' on the Rice Purity Test
Definition 1 — Good as 'Above Average for My Age'
This is the most practical definition and the one most worth using. A good score in this sense means your score is at or above the average for your age group — indicating you have checked fewer boxes than most people your age. This is a relative measure, not a moral judgment.
Using this definition: a 19-year-old who scored 87 has a 'good' score relative to their age group, since the average for 18 to 24 year olds is approximately 85. A 28-year-old who scored 87 has an unusually high score for their age, since the average for 25 to 34 year olds is around 63 to 64.
Definition 2 — Good as 'Pure' or 'Innocent'
In the test's own language, a higher score indicates greater purity — fewer experiences checked. Under this definition, any score above 90 is conventionally labeled 'very pure' or 'innocent,' and scores approaching 100 are genuinely rare. This is the definition used by people who associate a high purity score with something positive about their character or lifestyle choices.
The problem with this definition is that it conflates experience count with moral worth — which the test itself explicitly warns against. The original ricepuritytest.com says it is not a bucket list. Treating a high score as inherently virtuous is a misreading of what the test measures.
Definition 3 — Good as 'Socially Desirable'
In some social contexts — particularly online — a lower score signals social experience and worldliness, making it appear more desirable. In others, a high score signals innocence and discipline, making that appear more desirable. Both of these are social performances rather than genuine assessments of value.
The test has no opinion on which direction is socially better. A score of 45 and a score of 90 are simply different counts of different experiences. Neither is more impressive or admirable than the other by design.
What Is a Good Score by Age — Specific Benchmarks
The most useful way to define 'good' is relative to your own age group. Here is the framework based on aggregated data across multiple platforms and the Rice Thresher's published dataset of 124,952 test-takers.
| Age Group | Average Score | 'Good' Range | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | ~91 | 90 to 100 | You scored at or above the average for your age group |
| Ages 18-24 | ~85 | 83 to 100 | You scored within or above the norm for college-age people |
| Ages 25-34 | ~63-64 | 62 to 100 | You scored at or above the average for young adults |
| Ages 35+ | ~45-50 | 45 to 100 | You scored at or above the average for adults over 35 |
| All ages | ~63-65 | 65 to 100 | You scored above the global all-ages average |
These are estimates, not precise measurements. The important takeaway: what counts as a 'good' score shifts by roughly 25 to 30 points depending on your age group.
Key insight: Compare your score to your age group's average — not the global all-ages figure. A 20-year-old measuring themselves against the 63.6 global average is comparing against data that includes 40-year-olds. That comparison tells you almost nothing useful.
Is a Higher Score Better on the Rice Purity Test?
Higher is not better. Lower is not better. They are simply different.
A higher score means you have checked fewer boxes — you have had fewer of the listed experiences. A lower score means you have checked more boxes — you have had more of the listed experiences. The test assigns no value judgment to either direction.
The original Rice Purity Test at ricepuritytest.com carries a warning that has been there since the 1980s: this is not a bucket list. The warning exists specifically because some people treat a low score as something to pursue — as evidence of having lived fully or adventurously. The test designers anticipated this misuse and flagged it explicitly.
The reverse is equally true. A score of 95 does not indicate discipline, wisdom, or virtue. It indicates that 95 of the 100 listed experiences have not yet occurred in your life.
Is My Specific Score Good? — Validation for Common Scores
| Score Range | Most Common Age | Global Position | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98-100 | Any age | Rare — top 2-3% | Extremely few experiences. Common in people under 16 who have not yet had many adult experiences. |
| 95-97 | Under 18 | Above average | Very high for any age. Checks almost no boxes — typical for young teenagers. |
| 90-94 | Under 18 | Above average | Right at the average for people under 18. Completely normal for high school age. |
| 88-89 | 18-24 | Above average | Above the 18-24 average of 85. A relatively high score for college-age people. |
| 85-87 | 18-24 | Average | Right at the average for the 18-24 age group. Exactly where most college students land. |
| 80-84 | 18-24 | Slightly below avg | Below average for 18-24 but well within the normal range. Still indicates limited experience. |
| 75-79 | 25-34 | Above average | Above average for the 25-34 age group. Indicates a socially moderate but cautious life. |
| 70-74 | 25-34 | Above average | Above the 25-34 average. Fairly common for adults in their late 20s with active social lives. |
| 63-69 | 25-34 | Average | Right at the global all-ages average. Exactly where most 25-34 year olds land. |
| 55-62 | Any | Below all-ages avg | Below the global average. More common among adults in their 30s with significant life experience. |
| 45-54 | 35+ | Near average | Near average for the 35+ age group. Reflects broad life experience accumulated over decades. |
| 30-44 | 35+ | Below avg for age | Below average even for older adults. Indicates extensive experience across most categories. |
| 0-29 | Any | Rare — bottom 10% | Checked more than 70 of 100 questions. Found in fewer than 10% of test-takers globally. |
What Is a Bad Rice Purity Test Score?
There is no bad Rice Purity Test score. This is not a diplomatic deflection — it is the literal truth of how the test was designed.
A low score means you have checked many boxes. That means you have had a wide range of the listed experiences. Whether those experiences were enriching, regrettable, adventurous, traumatic, or simply the natural result of living a long and active social life — the test does not know and does not care. Every box is worth exactly one point subtracted from 100.
Some sites label low-score ranges with words like 'tainted,' 'corrupt,' or 'impure.' This language says more about the sites using it than about the people who score in those ranges. The test was designed as a bonding tool and self-reflection exercise. Applying moral labels to score ranges contradicts its stated purpose.
A score is only 'bad' by two measures — neither of which comes from the test itself. First, if it is dishonest: a score you achieved by checking things that did not actually happen tells you nothing useful. Second, if you feel distressed by it: if your score reflects experiences you genuinely regret, that is worth sitting with — but the number itself is not the problem.
What Is a Normal Rice Purity Test Score?
Normal depends entirely on your age. The data is consistent across sources on this point.
- Under 18: A score between 85 and 100 is normal. Most people under 18 score above 88.
- Ages 18 to 24: A score between 75 and 95 is normal. The average for this group is approximately 85.
- Ages 25 to 34: A score between 50 and 80 is normal. The average is approximately 63 to 64.
- Ages 35 and above: A score between 30 and 65 is normal. The average for this group is approximately 45 to 50.
If your score falls within the normal range for your age group, it means your life experiences track closely with the average for people like you. Full statistics by age group here.
The Honest Problem With Searching for a 'Good' Score
The very question 'what is a good score?' reflects a misunderstanding of what the test is for.
The Rice Purity Test was designed to give people a structured way to learn about themselves and start conversations — not to rank people on a goodness scale. When Rice University freshmen took it together in the 1980s during O-Week, nobody went home trying to optimize their answer to land on a specific number. The score was a data point, not a verdict.
The more useful question is not 'is my score good?' but 'is my score honest?' A score that reflects your genuine experiences, answered without performing for an audience, has real value as a self-assessment. A score you optimized toward a number you found impressive is just a number you invented.
The test's original disclaimer has been on ricepuritytest.com since the 1980s: 'This is not a bucket list.' That warning exists because the designers knew people would try to use it as one — treating low scores as goals to chase. The same warning applies in reverse to people chasing high scores to appear more virtuous.
When Does Score Comparison Become Unhealthy?
Comparing Rice Purity Test scores with friends can be a fun social activity. The test was literally designed for this. But there is a line where comparison shifts from entertainment to something more damaging.
Score comparison becomes a problem when it starts driving behavior — when someone makes or avoids real-life decisions based on what their score would become. Avoiding an experience because it would lower your score. Pursuing an experience to lower your score. Either direction represents the test operating on you rather than you operating on the test.
It also becomes a problem when it is used as a basis for judging other people. Your friends' scores reflect their lives, their circumstances, and their choices. A lower score than yours does not mean they have made worse decisions. A higher score does not mean they have made better ones.
If you find yourself feeling genuinely distressed about your score — either ashamed of a low number or pressured to lower a high one — the test has outgrown its purpose in that moment. Step back from it. It is a quiz, not a verdict.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Rice Purity Test score?
There is no universally good score. The most useful definition: a score that is at or above the average for your age group. Under 18 — above 91 is good. Ages 18-24 — above 85 is good. Ages 25-34 — above 63 is good. Ages 35+ — above 45 is good. Compared to the all-ages global average of 63 to 65, any score above that range places you in the higher half of the global distribution.
Is a higher or lower score better on the Rice Purity Test?
Neither is better. A higher score means you have checked fewer boxes — fewer of the listed experiences apply to your life. A lower score means more boxes are checked — more experiences apply. The test assigns no value judgment to either direction. A score of 90 is not more admirable than a score of 55, and a score of 55 is not more impressive than a score of 90. They simply reflect different life paths.
Is 88 a good Rice Purity Test score?
Yes — by any age-specific measure. For someone under 18, 88 is just below the average of 91, which is normal. For someone aged 18-24, 88 is above the average of 85, which is above average. For someone 25-34, 88 is well above the average of 63-64, which is significantly above average. An 88 is a high score by any adult standard.
Is 89 a good Rice Purity Test score?
Yes. An 89 means you have checked 11 of the 100 questions. For anyone over 18, this places you well above the average for your age group. For someone under 18, it sits just below the under-18 average of 91 — which is completely normal. By any measure, 89 is a high score.
What is a bad Rice Purity Test score?
There is no bad score. A low score means you have checked many boxes — you have had a wide range of the listed experiences. The test applies no moral judgment to that. The only functionally bad score is a dishonest one — a score that does not reflect your actual experiences.
What is a normal Rice Purity Test score?
Normal depends on your age. Under 18: 85-100 is normal. Ages 18-24: 75-95 is normal. Ages 25-34: 50-80 is normal. Ages 35+: 30-65 is normal. If your score falls within these ranges for your age, you are tracking with the statistical norm for people like you.
What is an innocent score on the Rice Purity Test?
Scores above 90 are conventionally described as innocent or very pure — indicating that very few of the listed experiences apply. Scores of 95 or above are genuinely rare among adults. About 2.2 percent of the 124,952 Rice Thresher test-takers scored a perfect 100. Scores in the 90-97 range represent roughly the top 10 to 15 percent of global test-takers.
What is a high score on the Rice Purity Test?
High scores — those above 85 — are more common among younger age groups. For someone under 18, a high score above 90 is typical. For a college student, a high score above 85 is above average but not unusual. For an adult over 30, a score above 75 is considered high relative to the age-group average of 63. The definition of 'high' shifts as the demographic changes.
What is considered good on the Rice Purity Test for a 14 or 16-year-old?
For people under 18, the average is approximately 91. A score of 88 to 95 is completely normal and places a teenager right in the center of their age group's distribution. Scores above 95 are high even for this age group. The test was designed for college students aged 18 and above, and younger test-takers will naturally score higher simply because fewer of the questions apply to their current stage of life.
The Bottom Line
A good Rice Purity Test score is the one you get when you answer honestly. That is the only definition that gives the score any real meaning.
If you want a reference point against your age group: compare to the averages above. If you score above the average for your age, you have checked fewer boxes than most people like you. If you score below, you have checked more. Neither tells you anything about the quality of your choices, your character, or your future.
Take the full test here — honest answers give you the most useful result.
What does your specific number mean? Every range from 0 to 100 broken down.