Passer rating squeezes a quarterback’s passing line into one number. The professional version, adopted in 1973 and still printed in every box score, rewards accuracy, yards, touchdowns and avoiding interceptions — and caps each so that 158.3 is perfect. College football uses a different, uncapped formula called passing efficiency. This calculator computes both from the same five statistics and shows exactly where the points come from.
How to use the passer rating calculator
- Choose the pro formula or college passing efficiency for the headline number. The other appears below it.
- Enter pass attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes and interceptions.
- Read the rating on the tape. The component table shows each part of the pro formula and the level at which it maxes out.
Passer rating formulas
Pro formula
Each component is limited to the range 0 to 2.375:
The formula was designed so that an average passer of the early 1970s scored about 1 on each component, or 66.7 overall. Passing has become far more efficient since, which is why typical ratings today are higher.
College passing efficiency
Worked example
520 attempts, 348 completions, 4,150 yards, 31 touchdowns, 9 interceptions.
a = (348/520 − 0.3) × 5 = 1.8462. b = (4,150/520 − 3) × 0.25 = 1.2452. c = 31/520 × 20 = 1.1923. d = 2.375 − 9/520 × 25 = 1.9423.
Sum = 6.2260; ÷ 6 × 100 = 103.8.
College efficiency = (34,860 + 10,230 + 34,800 − 1,800) ÷ 520 = 78,090 ÷ 520 = 150.2.
Where each component maxes out
| Component | Scores 0 at | Scores 1 at | Maxes out (2.375) at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completion percentage | 30% | 50% | 77.5% |
| Yards per attempt | 3.0 | 7.0 | 12.5 |
| Touchdown percentage | 0% | 5% | 11.875% |
| Interception percentage | 9.5% or more | 5.5% | 0% |
The table explains some quirks. A quarterback who completes 80% of passes gets no more credit than one at 77.5%, while every interception costs points on a steep scale. In a season-long sample, avoiding interceptions and gaining yards per attempt usually separate the top passers more than completion rate.
Small samples
With few attempts, one big play swings the result. A quarterback who completes a single 60-yard touchdown pass on one attempt earns a perfect 158.3, while a lone attempt that is intercepted rates 0.0. Minimum-attempt rules exist for season leaderboards for that reason.
Using passer rating sensibly
Passer rating is easy to compute and is still useful for comparing seasons and quarterbacks within an era. It does not see sacks, scrambles, dropped passes, receivers’ yards after the catch or the game situation, so it is best read alongside other statistics and the film.
For more sports math, the batting average calculator and the slugging percentage and OPS calculator cover baseball hitters, and the odds calculator converts betting lines into probabilities.
Frequently asked questions
How is passer rating calculated?
The pro formula turns four per-attempt stats — completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage and interception percentage — into scores between 0 and 2.375. It adds them, divides by 6 and multiplies by 100. The result ranges from 0 to 158.3.
What is a perfect passer rating?
158.3. A quarterback reaches it by completing at least 77.5% of passes, averaging at least 12.5 yards per attempt, throwing touchdowns on at least 11.875% of attempts and throwing no interceptions. Exceeding those marks earns nothing extra.
How is college passer rating different?
College football uses passing efficiency: (8.4 × yards + 330 × touchdowns + 100 × completions − 200 × interceptions) ÷ attempts. It has no caps, so a great game can score well over 200, and the scale is not comparable with the pro rating.
What is a good passer rating?
In recent professional seasons the league-wide rating has been around 90. Over a full season, 100 or more is excellent and below 80 is weak. Single games vary much more.
Does passer rating include rushing or sacks?
No. It uses only passing attempts, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns and interceptions. Sacks, fumbles, rushing and the game situation are ignored, which is one reason analysts also use other measures.