Assessment
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is a 10-statement self-report measure of overall self-worth. It takes about 2 minutes and gives a score from 0 to 30, where a higher score means higher self-esteem. By a common convention, scores of 15 to 25 are treated as within the normal range and scores below 15 suggest low self-esteem. The University of Maryland, which hosts the scale, says it has no official cut-offs. It does not diagnose.
- Statements
- 10
- Time
- About 2 minutes
- Recall period
- In general
- Score range
- 0 to 30
- Age
- 13 and over
Last updated
Use it with MLC Pro
MLC does not sell a printable PDF of the Rosenberg. This page explains the measure for information. Therapists with MLC Pro can assign it to a client online.
- Assign it from the client's file in your dashboard, under Assigned Forms.
- The client completes it securely in their own portal.
- The total and the level are calculated for you, and you can download a PDF report that lists each answer.
What is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale?
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a short questionnaire about how a person feels about themselves overall. It has ten statements, five worded positively (for example, feeling satisfied with oneself) and five worded negatively (for example, feeling useless at times). For each, the person chooses Strongly agree, Agree, Disagree or Strongly disagree. It was developed by the sociologist Morris Rosenberg (1965) and is one of the most widely used measures of self-esteem.
It measures global self-worth, meaning a general sense of being a person of value, rather than confidence in a particular skill or area of life.
For clients
It is ten statements about how you feel about yourself in general. You say how far you agree with each one. There are no right or wrong answers, and your answers help your therapist see how you see yourself and whether that shifts as therapy goes on.
How do therapists use the Rosenberg scale?
The RSES supports a baseline measurement and progress monitoring of self-esteem in adolescents and adults. A therapist reads it with the person's history, mood, relationships and recent events.
- Intake: a baseline when self-worth is part of the presenting concern.
- Treatment planning: see whether low self-esteem needs focused work.
- Progress monitoring: repeat it and compare scores across sessions, watching for a rise.
- Alongside symptoms: use it with the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, because low self-esteem often goes with low mood and anxiety.
How is the Rosenberg scale completed?
The person reads ten statements about their general feelings about themselves and chooses the answer that best describes how they feel: Strongly agree, Agree, Disagree or Strongly disagree. It takes about 2 minutes and is done in private.
How is the Rosenberg scale scored?
There is one total score, found in three steps.
- For statements 1, 3, 4, 7 and 10, score Strongly agree 3, Agree 2, Disagree 1 and Strongly disagree 0.
- Statements 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9 are negatively worded, so score them in reverse: Strongly agree 0, Agree 1, Disagree 2 and Strongly disagree 3.
- Add the ten scores. The total runs from 0 to 30, and a higher score means higher self-esteem.
On MLC the reverse scoring is built in: each answer carries its own score, so nothing needs flipping by hand. Unlike the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, a higher RSES score is better, so a rise over time is an improvement.
What do Rosenberg scores mean?
The total falls into one of three ranges.
| Reading | Total score |
|---|---|
| Low self-esteem | 0 to 14 |
| Within the normal range | 15 to 25 |
| High self-esteem | 26 to 30 |
Scores of 15 to 25 are generally treated as within the normal range, and scores below 15 as suggesting low self-esteem. These ranges are conventions, not strict thresholds, and studies use slightly different ones. There is no single agreed threshold for a meaningful change when the scale is repeated, so read changes alongside what the person reports.
These readings are not diagnoses. A score in the normal range can hide difficulty in one area, and a low score is a reason for a closer conversation, not a conclusion.
Does the Rosenberg scale measure suicide risk?
No. None of its statements asks about suicide or self-harm, so a clinician needs to ask about risk directly, whatever the score is. Low self-esteem often occurs with depression, and the PHQ-9 is commonly used alongside the RSES for that reason.
If you or someone you know is in distress or at risk right now, please see our crisis support page.
What are the limitations of the Rosenberg scale?
- It is a self-report measure, not a diagnosis. Low self-esteem is not itself a mental health condition.
- It gives one global score, so it does not show which area of life is affecting self-esteem.
- Answers can be shaped by mood on the day, and by a wish to appear well or modest.
- Cultural differences can affect how people answer, especially on negatively worded statements.
- The ranges for low and high scores are conventions and differ between studies.
How is the Rosenberg scale different from the PHQ-9 and WHO-5?
The PHQ-9 counts depression symptoms and a lower score is better. The WHO-5 measures recent wellbeing over 2 weeks. The Rosenberg scale measures a more lasting sense of self-worth and has no time window, so it is less likely to swing from week to week.
Like the WHO-5, a higher Rosenberg score is better. Many therapists use it alongside a symptom measure to track both how a person is feeling and how they see themselves.
How well does the Rosenberg scale work?
The scale has been used in many countries and languages. A study that gave it in 53 nations (Schmitt and Allik, 2005) found it worked in a similar way across most of them, with good internal consistency, and item response research (Gray-Little and colleagues, 1997) supported its use. As with any range, how well it works depends on the group tested, so findings from one population should not be assumed to hold for another.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale measure?
It measures overall self-esteem, meaning a person's general sense of self-worth, using ten statements, and gives a total from 0 to 30.
How is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale scored?
Each answer scores 0 to 3, and statements 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9 are scored in reverse. Add the ten scores for a total from 0 to 30.
Which Rosenberg statements are reverse scored?
Statements 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9, which are negatively worded. On MLC each answer carries its own score, so the reverse scoring is built in.
Is a high or low Rosenberg score better?
A higher score is better. A higher score means higher self-esteem, so 30 is the highest possible result and 0 the lowest.
What is a normal Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale score?
Scores between 15 and 25 are generally treated as within the normal range. Scores below 15 suggest low self-esteem, and scores above 25 suggest high self-esteem.
What is a low score on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale?
A score below 15 is commonly treated as suggesting low self-esteem. It is a prompt for a closer conversation, not a diagnosis.
How long does the Rosenberg scale take?
About 2 minutes.
Is the Rosenberg scale a diagnostic test?
No. It is a self-report measure of self-esteem. Low self-esteem is not itself a diagnosis, and a low score is a reason for a closer conversation.
Does the Rosenberg scale measure suicide risk?
No. None of its statements asks about suicide or self-harm, so a clinician needs to ask about risk directly whatever the score is.
How much change on the Rosenberg scale is meaningful?
There is no single agreed threshold. MLC flags a change of 3 points or more as a prompt for discussion, and a rise means improvement.
Who can complete the Rosenberg scale?
Adolescents and adults aged 13 and over. On MLC it is assigned and interpreted by your therapist.
Is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale free to use?
The scale is widely used in research. MLC has not found a statement from its owners that allows it to be reproduced as a printed form, so this page does not show a copy of it. It is available to therapists as an online form on MLC Pro.
How do I get the Rosenberg scale on MLC?
Therapists with MLC Pro assign it directly to their clients from the dashboard, and clients complete it in their MLC portal.
Disclaimer and attribution
This page is for information. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is a self-report measure, not a diagnostic instrument, and its results need professional interpretation in context. It is not a substitute for advice from a qualified health professional.
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was developed by Morris Rosenberg (1965), in Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. MLC does not claim ownership of this instrument.
References
- Rosenberg M. Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Princeton University Press (1965).
- Gray-Little B, Williams VSL, Hancock TD. An item response theory analysis of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(5), 443-451 (1997).
- Schmitt DP, Allik J. Simultaneous administration of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in 53 nations: exploring the universal and culture-specific features of global self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(4), 623-642 (2005).
MLC Pro
Use the Rosenberg scale with your clients on MLC Pro
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is included with MLC Pro. Assign it directly to a client from their file in your dashboard, and the client completes it securely in their own portal.
- Open the client in your dashboard and choose Assigned Forms.
- Assign the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with an optional due date.
- Your client completes it in their portal. The total and the reading are calculated automatically, including the reverse scoring.
- You review the result and can download it as a PDF report that lists each answer, which shows a rise in score as an improvement.
- Assign it again later to track change over time.
Results are shared with the therapist who assigned it.