# Percentile Rank — Definition & Explanation

> From the SchoolBrowse Education Glossary.
> HTML version: https://schoolbrowse.com/glossary/percentile-rank

**In short:** A score indicating the percentage of test-takers who scored at or below a particular score, used to compare performance.
A **percentile rank** indicates the percentage of test-takers who scored at or below a particular score. If a student scores at the 75th percentile, they performed as well as or better than 75% of the comparison group. Percentiles help compare individual performance to peers.

## Interpreting Percentiles

The 50th percentile represents average performance. Scores above 75th percentile are typically considered above average, while below 25th percentile may indicate below average performance. The comparison group matters—national, state, or local norms provide different contexts.

## Percentiles vs. Percentages

Percentiles differ from percentage correct. A student answering 75% correctly might rank at any percentile depending on how others performed. Percentiles are relative measures of performance.

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: What does 90th percentile mean?**

Scoring at the 90th percentile means you performed as well as or better than 90% of the comparison group on that test.
**Q: Is percentile the same as percentage correct?**

No. Percentile is a relative ranking compared to others. Percentage correct is the proportion of questions answered correctly.

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Source: SchoolBrowse Education Glossary (https://schoolbrowse.com/glossary). Please attribute and link to https://schoolbrowse.com/glossary/percentile-rank when citing this definition.