Rice Purity Score Meaning: What Your Number Actually Says
You just finished the Rice Purity Test and got a number. Now you’re staring at it, wondering what it actually means.
This page skips the history and the mechanics (you can find those on our main Rice Purity Test page). It’s just about your result and what it does, and doesn’t, say about you.
The Quick Answer
Your rice purity score reflects how many of the 100 listed experiences apply to your life so far. Nothing more.
A higher number means fewer of those experiences. A lower number means more of them. It says nothing about your character, intelligence, or worth as a person.
Rice Purity Score Meaning by Range
Here’s what each general range tends to reflect, based on how the test is structured and how most people actually score.
| Score Range | What It Generally Reflects |
|---|---|
| 90-100 | Very few of the listed experiences. Common among younger teens or anyone early in their social and dating life. |
| 70-89 | Some experiences, but still on the milder end. Typical for early college years. |
| 50-69 | The middle of the pack. This is where most college-age test takers land. |
| 30-49 | A wider range of experiences across most categories. Common further into college or the early twenties. |
| 0-29 | Most or nearly all of the listed items checked. Less common, but not rare among older test takers. |
High Scores (70-100)
A high score just means you haven’t gotten to most of the experiences on the list yet. That’s often a matter of age or timing rather than anything else.
It doesn’t mean you’re more disciplined, more moral, or better than anyone with a lower number. It usually just means you’re earlier in that part of your life.
Middle Scores (30-69)
Most people land here, which is exactly why it’s called the middle of the pack. This range covers a huge amount of personal variation, from someone who’s dated a bit and been to a few parties to someone with a much broader set of experiences.
A score of 55 and a score of 40 aren’t meaningfully different in any deep sense. They’re both just a count of checked boxes.
Low Scores (0-29)
A low score means most items on the list applied to you. It’s more common among older test takers simply because more time has passed to accumulate experiences.
It doesn’t indicate recklessness or poor judgment on its own. It reflects a fuller set of life experiences, which is neither good nor bad by itself.
What Actually Shapes Your Score
Age is the biggest factor. Someone who’s 19 has had less time to check boxes than someone who’s 26, regardless of anything else about either of them.
Environment matters too. College culture, friend groups, and even which city or country you grew up in can all affect how quickly someone’s score drops, simply because some environments create more opportunities for the experiences the test asks about.
None of this makes the number a measure of personality. It mostly reflects circumstances: how much time has passed, and what kind of environment someone has been in during that time.
Is My Score Normal?
Almost certainly, yes. The only verified, sourced average available comes from The Rice Thresher’s own 2018 “State of the Pure” report: an average of 61.46 across 124,952 recorded test-takers.
That data is old and limited to whoever happened to take the test through the Thresher’s own page, so treat it as a rough historical reference rather than a precise global figure. Plenty of sites online claim more specific “current averages,” but none of those numbers trace back to a real, checkable source.
The practical takeaway: if you’re in the 50s or 60s, you’re right around where most people land. If you’re higher or lower, that’s normal too. Individual variation on this test is enormous.
Common Misconceptions About Score Meaning
| Misconception | Reality |
|---|---|
| A high score means someone has better self-control or values | It usually just means fewer opportunities or less time, not stronger character |
| A low score means someone made bad choices | It reflects a broader set of experiences, not judgment or recklessness |
| Certain score ranges reveal personality traits like intelligence or emotional maturity | The test only counts checked boxes. It has no way to measure personality traits at all |
| There’s a single correct “average” score everyone should compare against | The only sourced average (61.46, from the Thresher’s 2018 report) is old data from one specific group, not a universal benchmark |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 70 a good rice purity score?
There’s no such thing as a “good” or “bad” score. A 70 simply means you’ve checked off about 30 of the 100 listed experiences, which puts you on the milder end of the range where most college-age people land.
Is a 50 a bad rice purity score?
No. A 50 is close to the middle of the scale and lines up with where a large share of test takers land. It’s neither unusually high nor unusually low.
Does my rice purity score say anything about my personality?
No. The test only counts which listed experiences apply to you. It wasn’t designed to measure personality traits, and any site claiming a score range reveals things like emotional intelligence or maturity is making that up.
Why did my score change since the last time I took it?
Because the test measures experiences you’ve had, not a fixed trait. As more time passes and your life changes, the number naturally shifts too.
Should I compare my score to the “average”?
You can, but treat it lightly. The only sourced average (61.46) comes from one specific dataset collected before 2018. It’s a reference point, not a standard to measure yourself against.
Take the Test Again or Compare With Friends
If you haven’t taken the full test yet, or want to see how your number stacks up against someone else’s, head back to our Rice Purity Test page to take it and calculate your score instantly.