Remember when your older cousin took that Rice Purity Test at college and wouldn’t stop talking about their score? Yeah, that’s still happening, except now there’s a whole generational divide happening around this quirky little quiz.
The Rice Purity Test has been around since 1980, floating through dorm rooms and late-night hangouts for decades. But here’s the thing: Gen Z and Millennials are taking it, comparing their scores, and the results are kind of hilarious—and surprisingly revealing about how these two generations grew up differently.
If you’re wondering whether your generation’s scores match up to the others’, or you’re just curious about what this test actually measures, you’re in the right place. We’re diving deep into the Rice Purity Test for Gen Z vs. Millennials, breaking down the generational differences, and explaining why these scores actually tell us something interesting about how we were raised.
Let’s talk about it.
What Exactly Is the Rice Purity Test?
Before we get into the comparison, let’s set the stage. The Rice Purity Test isn’t some official scientific measurement (despite its official-sounding name). It’s a 100-question self-assessment quiz that started at Rice University and measures how much someone has done certain life experiences, everything from first kisses and relationships to substance use and “wilder” activities.
Here’s the deal: the test gives you a score out of 100, and a lower score means you’ve had more diverse life experiences. A higher score suggests you’re more cautious or haven’t tried as many things yet.
Think of it like a fun, slightly awkward conversation starter rather than actual science.
The Generational Context: Why This Even Matters
Here’s why comparing Gen Z and Millennial scores isn’t just random trivia: It actually says something about how these generations were raised and what they value.
Millennials (born roughly 1981–1996) grew up during the rise of the internet but still had plenty of an offline childhood. They came of age during a time when parenting was… let’s call it “loser.” There were fewer safety regulations, helicopter parenting wasn’t yet a phrase, and kids roamed free, unsupervised, pretty regularly.
Gen Z (born roughly 1997–2012) grew up completely differently. They had smartphones from their teens, helicopter parents were in full swing, and social media created a constant awareness of consequences. They’re also more aware of mental health issues and generally more cautious about peer pressure.
These differences matter when it comes to the Rice Purity Test scores.
Rice Purity Test Scores: What We’re Actually Seeing
The General Breakdown
Based on various test-taking data and social media discussions, here’s what we’re observing:
Millennials tend to score lower (more “experienced”) on average, typically landing in the 40–70 range depending on the study and who’s taking it.
Gen Z tends to score higher (more “pure”) on average, frequently hitting the 60–80 range.
But, and this is important, these are generalizations. Individual scores vary wildly based on personal choices, not just generation.
Why Are Gen Z Scores Higher?
This is where it gets interesting. Gen Z scores higher (meaning higher purity scores, or fewer experiences with certain things) for several reasons:
Social Media Accountability Gen Z knows everything they do can be screenshot, posted, and shared. There’s permanent documentation of your decisions. This creates a natural hesitation around risky behavior that Millennials didn’t have as teenagers.
Stricter Parenting Styles. Helicopter parenting hit its peak during Gen Z’s childhood. More supervision, more check-ins, curfews that were actually enforced, these things matter.
Awareness of Consequences Gen Z has watched Millennials (and older generations) experience consequences through social media. They’re generally smarter about avoiding situations that could follow them.
Different Substance Attitudes. Interestingly, Gen Z has lower rates of drinking and drug use compared to Millennials at the same age. This isn’t necessarily about being “better”—it’s just a different cultural moment.
Dating Culture Shifts: The way people date, flirt, and hook up has changed dramatically. Gen Z is more likely to meet people online, which creates different dynamics than the Millennial experience of house parties and bars.
Breaking Down Specific Categories: Where the Differences Really Show
Relationships and Romantic Experience
Millennials tended to start dating earlier (in-person dating was kind of the only option). Gen Z is more likely to start with online interactions, dating apps, Instagram DMs, and Snapchat conversations.
This shifts the timeline. A Gen Z person might have had multiple online romantic connections without having a traditional “date” that a Millennial would recognize.
The Impact on Scores: Millennials often have earlier romantic milestones, giving them lower (more experienced-seeming) scores.
Substance Use
This is one of the most significant differences.
According to recent studies, Gen Z has lower rates of alcohol and marijuana use compared to Millennials at the same age. Millennials came of age in the 1990s and early 2000s—a very different cultural moment for substance use.
The Rice Purity Test Impact: Multiple questions on the test relate to drinking and drug use. Gen Z’s lower engagement with these behaviors naturally bumps their scores higher.
Party Culture
Millennials grew up with college parties being a major cultural touchstone. House parties, fraternity parties, and going out to bars were standard social activities.
Gen Z? They’re having smaller hangouts, gaming sessions, and a lot of their socializing happens online or in low-key settings.
Score Difference: This fundamentally changes how people answer the test’s party-related questions.
Social Boundaries and Consent
Here’s something Gen Z actually does better: boundary-setting and consent awareness.
Millennials grew up without the language for consent that exists today. Gen Z learned about consent in school, in health classes, and through social media awareness campaigns. They’re more likely to think about and discuss boundaries before situations escalate.
This means Gen Z might not have experiences that Millennials consider “normal” or “just what happens,” because they’re more intentional about avoiding situations that don’t feel right.
Are Higher Purity Scores Actually a Good Thing?
This is where we need to pump the brakes and be real for a second.
A higher Rice Purity Test score doesn’t mean someone’s “better” or “more innocent.” It just means they’ve made different choices, often choices that were influenced by their environment, technology, and the era they grew up in.
Millennials aren’t “worse” for lower scores. They grew up in a different world with different norms and different consequences.
Similarly, Gen Z’s higher scores don’t mean they’re more virtuous. They’re navigating a world where everything is documented, where there’s 24/7 parental oversight possible, and where social consequences are permanent.
The truth? They’re just different generations with different circumstances.
Real Numbers: What Studies Actually Show
Several informal but interesting surveys have compared Gen Z and Millennial Rice Purity Test scores:
- A 2022 TikTok trend where people posted their scores showed Gen Z averaging around 72–75
- Millennial Twitter threads comparing scores showed averages around 58–65
- College student surveys typically show similar patterns across years, suggesting the gap is consistent
That said, there’s no official “scientific” data here. These are fun internet trends, not peer-reviewed research.
Why the Rice Purity Test Went Viral (Again)
The Rice Purity Test resurged online around 2020–2021, mainly on TikTok and Instagram. Gen Z rediscovered it, started taking it, sharing results, and creating the current generation-comparison conversation.
Why now? A few reasons:
- It’s a harmless trend that doesn’t require expensive equipment or skills
- It’s conversation-starting in a way that resonates with how Gen Z communicates
- Generational comparison is literally Gen Z’s favorite thing to discuss
- Nostalgia for older generations is a whole aesthetic right now
The Real Insight Here: What This Test Actually Reveals
Here’s the thing nobody talks about enough: the Rice Purity Test isn’t really measuring purity or morality. It’s measuring life experience within a specific context.
What it actually reveals is:
Environmental factors – What opportunities did someone have? What was socially acceptable in their circles?
Values alignment – How much do their choices align with what they personally believe matters?
Cultural context – What generation did they grow up in, and what norms did that generation have?
Risk tolerance – Not morality, but actual risk tolerance and how they handle uncertainty.
Five Things Gen Z and Millennials Need to Know About This Test
- Your score doesn’t define your character. Having a “lower” score doesn’t mean you’re wild. Having a “higher” score doesn’t mean you’re boring. It just means you made different choices.
- Generational comparison is mostly just fun. Yes, there are actual differences between how Gen Z and Millennials grew up, but these differences are sociological, not moral.
- The test has blind spots. It doesn’t measure kindness, intelligence, compassion, or any of the things that actually matter. It measures whether you’ve done certain things; that’s literally it.
- Your score changes over time. If you took this test at 18, 25, and 30, you’d get different results. That’s normal.
- Compare notes if you want, but don’t judge. The whole point of the trend is to have fun, not to actually determine who’s “better.”
Frequently Asked Quetions
What’s the average Rice Purity Test score for Gen Z?
Based on informal social media trends, Gen Z typically scores between 70 and 80. That said, this varies hugely by individual and social circles.
Why do Millennials score lower?
Different era, different norms, less surveillance of teen years, and different substance use patterns during their formative years. It’s not about being “worse,” just different circumstances.
Is the Rice Purity Test actually accurate?
It’s not a scientific measure of anything. It’s a self-reported survey based on personal honesty. Take it for fun, not as actual data about yourself.
Can you retake the test?
Yes, absolutely. Your score can change as you have new experiences, and retaking it can be a fun way to check in with yourself over the years.
Does a higher score mean someone hasn’t “lived”?
Not at all. Someone with a high score might have a rich, full life filled with different experiences that the test doesn’t measure. The test is very limited in scope.
Conclusion
Here’s what we’ve figured out: Gen Z and Millennials score differently on the Rice Purity Test, primarily because they grew up in completely different environments with different technologies, different parenting styles, and different social consequences.
Millennials tend to score lower (more “experienced”) partly because they came of age when things were less documented and substance culture was different. Gen Z scores higher partly because helicopter parenting, social media surveillance, and the permanence of the internet created more caution.
But here’s the important bit: neither is better. They’re just different.
The whole comparison is actually kind of charming when you think about it. It’s Gen Z and Millennials having fun with a weird 40-year-old quiz, comparing notes, laughing at their results, and recognizing how much the world has changed in just a couple of decades.
If you haven’t taken the Rice Purity Test yet, grab a friend, take it together, and see where you land. You’ll probably laugh, maybe be surprised, and definitely learn something funny about your friend group.
And if you’re comparing your Millennial score to your Gen Z cousin’s? Don’t stress about it. You’ve just got different life timelines shaped by different eras. That’s not a flaw; that’s just being human at different moments in history.