What Does Your Rice Purity Score Mean? A Complete Guide to Every Range

What Is the Rice Purity Test Score?

The Rice Purity Test is a 100-question self-assessment that asks whether you have experienced various life events, ranging from holding hands with someone to more extreme experiences. Each "yes" subtracts one point from your starting score of 100.

Your final score reflects how many of those 100 experiences you have not had. It is a snapshot, not a verdict. The test was originally created by Rice University students as a lighthearted way to bond with classmates, not as a measure of character or worth.

Rice Purity Score Ranges: What Each Score Means

These ranges are approximate. The test covers a wide mix of categories (romance, substances, legal situations, social behaviors), so two people with the same score can have very different experiences behind that number. For a number-by-number breakdown, browse the full scores index.

What Does a High Rice Purity Score Mean? (77-100)

A high score means you have not checked many boxes on the test. It does not mean you are boring, sheltered, or immature.

Scores in the 90-100 range are common among younger teens who are early in their social development. Scores in the 77-89 range reflect someone who has had some experiences (first kisses, social drinking at a party) but has not ventured into more extreme territory.

If you scored in this range, you are not behind. The average score shifts significantly by age, and many experiences on the list are simply ones you have not had yet rather than ones you are avoiding.

What Does a Low Rice Purity Score Mean? (0-44)

A low score means you have had a wide range of the experiences on the list. It reflects exposure, not moral failure.

Scores in the 21-44 range are below average but not unusual for adults in their mid-to-late twenties. Scores below 20 are relatively rare and typically reflect someone who has engaged with nearly every category on the test, including some that most people never encounter.

A low score is not something to be ashamed of or to brag about. The test was designed as a social icebreaker, not a ranking system.

What Is a Good Rice Purity Score?

There is no universally "good" score on the Rice Purity Test. The concept of "good" depends entirely on your personal values, your age, and what you are comparing yourself to.

That said, here is how to think about it:

• If you want to compare yourself to your peers, the average score for most young adults falls between 45 and 65. A score in that range places you squarely in the middle of the distribution. A score above 70 is higher than average. A score below 40 is lower.
• If you are measuring personal growth, the score is less useful. The test does not distinguish between experiences you chose freely and ones that happened to you. It also does not account for how those experiences shaped you.
• If your score bothers you in either direction (too high or too low), the more important question is not the number itself but what you want your life to look like going forward.

Is [X] a Good Rice Purity Score? Specific Ranges Answered

Is a score of 70-79 good?
Yes, by most standards. A score in the 70s places you above the average for most demographics, meaning you have had fewer experiences than most of your peers. This is neither good nor bad on its own. See the score 72 breakdown for a concrete example.

Is a score of 50-69 good?
This is the core of the average range. A score here means you are roughly in line with most young adults. Whether that feels "good" depends on your expectations and peer group.

Is a score of 30-49 good?
Below average, but still within a normal range for adults with significant life experience. Many people in their mid-twenties and beyond score in this range without it reflecting negatively on their character or choices.

Is a score below 20 good?
By the test's own logic, no: a very low score means you have checked nearly every box. Whether that matters to you is a personal question, not one the test can answer.

How Does Your Score Compare to the Average?

Research and community data consistently show that the average Rice Purity Test score sits around 50-65 for most college-aged adults, with the number trending lower as people get older.

A few patterns worth knowing:

• Younger participants (under 18) tend to score between 75 and 95.
• College-age adults (18-22) typically score between 55 and 75.
• Adults over 25 often score between 40 and 60.
• Women have historically scored slightly higher on average than men, though the gap is narrowing.

For a detailed breakdown by age group, see our full article on average Rice Purity Test scores by age.

What Your Score Does Not Tell You

The Rice Purity Test has genuine limits worth keeping in mind before you read too much into your result.

It does not measure happiness, maturity, or character. Two people can score identically while living completely different lives. The test captures exposure to experiences, not how those experiences affected someone.

The questions are not weighted equally. Holding hands and having a criminal record both count as one point each. The test lumps together experiences of vastly different social significance.

Context matters. A 19-year-old scoring 80 and a 29-year-old scoring 80 are in very different situations. The number only makes sense relative to your age and life stage.

It is also voluntary and self-reported. You answer what you choose to answer. The result is only as accurate as your honesty.

Should You Retake the Test?

The test is worth retaking over time to see how your score changes. Many people find it interesting to compare their result from high school to their result a few years into college or adult life.

If you want to see how your score shifts across different life stages, or if you have never taken the test at all, you can take the free Rice Purity Test here.

You can also browse the full score breakdown page for a deeper look at what different results typically mean.

Summary: Reading Your Score Honestly

Your Rice Purity Test score is a data point, not a verdict.

If your score is high, you are not naive. If it is low, you are not defined by that number. The test's value is mostly social: it sparks conversations, creates comparison points, and gives people a structured way to reflect on where they are in life.

The most useful thing you can do with your score is compare it to the average for your age group, and then set it aside. The test cannot tell you what kind of person you are or what kind of life you should be living.

What it can do is give you a starting point for the kind of conversations the test was designed to create. Want to know more about how the test was created? Read the history of the Rice Purity Test.

Frequently Asked Questions