Is Your Rice Purity Score Good or Bad? Here’s the Honest Answer

You took the test. You got your number. And now you’re doing the thing everyone does — you’re Googling it.

That’s not embarrassing. That’s exactly why this article exists.

Whether you scored a 91 and feel weirdly proud, or you got a 48 and you’re not sure how to feel about it — let’s actually talk through what these numbers mean in real life, not just in theory.

First, the Only Benchmark That Actually Matters

Before anyone can tell you if your score is “good” or “bad,” you need a real point of comparison. Not vibes. Actual data.

The Rice Thresher — the student newspaper at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where this test originated — tracked results from 124,952 test-takers. Their documented average: 61.46.

That’s your baseline. Not 70. Not 80. 61.

Separate analytics from 2025 put the global average slightly higher, somewhere between 63 and 68, depending on which version of the test was used. But the core finding is consistent — most people land in the low-to-mid 60s. If you scored anywhere near there, you are statistically the most normal person in the room.

So What Is a “Good” Score, Really?

Depends entirely on what you mean by good.

If “good” means high — many points away from zero, leaning toward 100 — then scores above 80 are on the purer end. Mostly teenagers, people who grew up in conservative environments, or anyone who just hasn’t had a ton of the experiences the test covers yet. Nothing wrong with any of that.

If “good” means average — normal for your age group, not an outlier in either direction — then 60 to 80 is where you want to be. That range covers the largest share of test-takers. Over 70% of people score between 50 and 80, according to quiz analytics data from 2025.

If “good” means honest — meaning you answered truthfully — then whatever number came up is the right one.

The uncomfortable truth is that the test wasn’t designed to produce a good or bad result. It started as an O-Week bonding exercise at Rice, a way for incoming freshmen to swap stories about who they were before college. Judgment was never the point. The internet turned it into a scorecard. That’s on us, not the test.

Score Ranges — What Each One Actually Reflects

Score	What It Generally Means
98–100	Almost nothing checked. Very young, very sheltered, or genuinely rare.
90–97	Minimal experiences. Common for high schoolers and younger teens.
77–90	Average for people under 25. Some experiences, clear personal limits.
60–76	Socially active, romantically experienced, possibly some substance use.
45–59	Broader range across multiple categories. Common in mid-20s adults.
9–44	Wide range of experiences. Adventurous or older demographic.
0–8	Extremely rare. Would require checking almost every item on the list.

These aren’t moral categories. They’re experience clusters. A 44 and a 45 are one checkbox apart. Nobody’s life changes at that line.

Is 70 a Good Rice Purity Score?

Yes — and not just “technically fine.” A 70 is actually above the real documented average of 61.46. It puts you in the upper half of all test-takers globally.

At 70, you’ve checked roughly 30 of 100 items. Those 30 items probably cover some combination of romantic experiences, maybe light substance use, some social rule-bending — the kind of stuff most people encounter in their late teens and early 20s without thinking twice about it.

For an 18-year-old, 70 reads as pretty standard. For someone in their mid-20s, it might even skew toward the higher end of their peer group. Either way, there’s nothing alarming about this number from any angle.

Is 50 a Bad Rice Purity Score?

Not by the data. Below average, yes. Bad? That’s a different question entirely.

A score of 50 means you’ve checked 50 items out of 100. Here’s what people forget: the questions aren’t weighted. Holding someone’s hand counts the same as a felony conviction — one point each. So your 50 might be built mostly from relationships, parties, and mild experimentation, not anything extreme. The test has no way of knowing.

Among adults in their late 20s, a score around 50 is genuinely normal. Life accumulates. The test was designed to measure accumulated experience — not judge it.

Normal Rice Purity Score for an 18-Year-Old

Most 18-year-olds score somewhere between 67 and 86. The tighter cluster sits in the low 80s — especially for people coming straight out of high school with no college experience yet.

College freshmen tend to hover in the 75–90 range early on, then drift lower as the years go by. By senior year, that same person might score 15 to 25 points lower — not because they’ve “fallen,” but because they’ve lived.

One thing worth keeping in mind: the test was built for Rice University students reflecting on their pre-college lives. An 18-year-old taking it fresh has a fundamentally shorter reference period than a 22-year-old. Higher scores at 18 aren’t virtue signals. They’re just math.

What Scores Look Like Across Age Groups

The pattern is consistent across every dataset that tracks this:

Younger participants score higher. Older participants score lower. This isn’t controversial — it’s exactly what you’d expect when a test measures accumulated life experience.

High schoolers typically land in the 84–91 range. College students cluster around 60–80 depending on year. People in their late 20s often sit somewhere between 40 and 65. By their 30s, many adults are scoring in the 30s and 40s — and they’re often the most settled, least dramatic people you’ll ever meet.

Age context transforms the meaning of the number. A 55 at 19 is very different from a 55 at 30.

The One Thing the Test Can’t Measure

Every question subtracts one point. Holding someone’s hand — one point. Getting convicted of a crime — one point. The test has no judgment built into it. It can’t distinguish between the experience you’re proud of and the one you regret.

It doesn’t know if you made thoughtful choices or impulsive ones. It doesn’t know your values, your growth, or the context around any single decision. It’s a checklist. Checklists are blunt instruments.

That’s not a criticism of the test — it’s just the reality of what it is. The Rice Purity Test has no scientific validation as a personality measure. Psychologists don’t use it. It was invented in 1924 by a student newspaper and passed down through Tumblr and Reddit and TikTok into whatever cultural moment it occupies today.

What it actually is: a mildly fun, culturally sticky way to reflect on your life history with other people. That’s the whole thing. Treat it accordingly.

The Real Answer

Your score is a number on a list. It reflects what you’ve experienced — not who you are, not where you’re going, not what kind of person you’ve become through those experiences.

The documented average is 61.46. Most people land between 50 and 80. If you’re in that range, you’re not unusual. If you’re outside it in either direction, you’re also not unusual — just on a different part of a very wide curve.

What the test can’t tell you is the only thing that actually matters: whether you’ve been living in a way that feels right to you. That question doesn’t have a score. It doesn’t need one.

FAQs

What is a good rice purity test score?

There isn’t one universal answer, but the documented global average sits at 61.46 based on nearly 125,000 test-takers. Scores between 60 and 80 cover the largest portion of real respondents. If you’re in that range, you’re about as average as it gets. Anything above 80 is on the more reserved end. Below 50 reflects a broader range of experiences, which is common for older adults.

What is the average rice purity test score?

The Rice Thresher’s official tracked average from 124,952 test-takers is 61.46. Independent analytics from 2025 place the global average slightly higher at 63–68 depending on the platform and version. Either way, the real average is in the low 60s — lower than most people expect before they look it up.

Is 70 a good rice purity score?

Yes. A 70 is above the documented average of 61.46, which places it in the top half of all test results globally. For most people in their late teens or early 20s, a score of 70 suggests an active social life, some romantic experience, and possibly mild experimentation — a profile that describes the majority of young adults.

Is 50 a bad score on the rice purity test?

Below the global average, but not bad in any meaningful sense. A score of 50 places you in the “well-experienced” category by the test’s framing. Among people in their mid-to-late 20s, it’s fairly common. The test doesn’t distinguish between minor experiences and serious ones — every checked box costs one point regardless of context.

What is a normal rice purity score for an 18-year-old?

Most 18-year-olds score between 67 and 86, with the strongest cluster in the low-to-mid 80s for high school graduates. College freshmen tend to start in the 75–90 range and drift lower each year. A score in the 70s at 18 is neither surprising nor concerning — it’s simply the typical result for someone who’s been socially active without extensive post-high-school experience.

Does a high score mean you’re a better person?

No. The test records whether you’ve had certain experiences — not why, how, or what came of them. A person with a 95 isn’t more ethical or emotionally mature than someone with a 55. Those are completely different measurements, and the Rice Purity Test doesn’t capture any of them.

Does a low score mean you’ve made bad decisions?

Not automatically. Some of the experiences the test covers are harmless, even positive — romantic relationships, social exploration, personal independence. The test doesn’t evaluate whether experiences were thoughtful or reckless. It just counts them.

How do scores differ by gender?

Some variation exists across data sets, though patterns have shifted significantly across generations. Differences tend to reflect social opportunity and cultural expectations more than anything intrinsic. Gender-based comparison of scores can reinforce unfair double standards, so it’s worth being cautious about how you interpret that dimension.

Can you retake the test to improve your score?

You can — but if you answer dishonestly, the number means nothing. The entire value of the test comes from honest self-reporting. A manufactured high score tells you less than your actual result, regardless of where that number lands.

Is the rice purity test safe for younger teenagers?

Most platforms recommend 18+, given the mature nature of several questions. Younger teens do encounter it through TikTok and Reddit regularly. Parents should know the content covers sexual experiences, substance use, and illegal activity in some detail.

How is the score calculated?

Score = 100 minus the number of items you checked. Each “yes” answer removes one point. Check 38 boxes, your score is 62. The calculation runs automatically in your browser the moment you finish the test.

Does your score change over time?

Almost always, yes — and almost always downward. Most people who retake the test after a year or two of college see their score drop by 10 to 25 points. This is normal and expected. Life experience accumulates. The test captures that accumulation, nothing more.