Three-Point Percentage: Calculate 3P% and Judge It in Context

Three-point percentage (3P%) is the percentage of a player’s or team’s three-point attempts that go in. A shooter with a 40% three-point percentage has made four of every ten recorded attempts over the sample being measured—not necessarily in each game.

It measures accuracy, not how often someone shoots threes or how many points they score. To judge the number, read it alongside attempts, playing role and the league and season being compared.

How to calculate three-point percentage

The formula is:

3P% = (three-pointers made ÷ three-pointers attempted) × 100

In a box score:

• 3PM means three-point field goals made.
• 3PA means three-point field goals attempted.
• 3P% is makes divided by attempts, expressed as a percentage.

These are the definitions and ratio used in the NBA’s statistical glossary.

For example, a player who makes 6 threes on 15 attempts shoots 6 ÷ 15 × 100 = 40%. A display of .400 means the same thing as 40.0%.

Do not multiply makes by three when calculating 3P%. Each successful shot counts as one make in the accuracy calculation, even though it scores three points. If the player has zero attempts, the percentage is mathematically undefined; there is no shooting sample to evaluate.

For several games, add the shots—not the percentages

Season, career and team percentages use total makes divided by total attempts. A simple average of individual game percentages can give the wrong answer because games have different shooting volumes.

Here is a hypothetical two-game example:

Sample	Three-pointers made	Three-pointers attempted	3P%
Game 1	1	2	50.0%
Game 2	3	10	30.0%
Combined	4	12	33.3%

Averaging 50% and 30% gives 40%, but the correct combined percentage is 4 ÷ 12 × 100 = 33.3%. The ten-attempt game must carry more weight than the two-attempt game. The same principle applies when combining players’ shooting into a team total.

What is a good three-point percentage?

For a recent NBA reference, the league shot 36.0% in the 2025–26 regular season, according to Basketball-Reference’s league-average table. Against that benchmark, 40% is four percentage points above average—a strong accuracy result if supported by a meaningful sample.

That is an NBA reference, not a universal cutoff for college, high-school or other basketball. Nor does being above average automatically make someone the better shooter. Check:

• Attempt count. Going 4-for-10 and 200-for-500 both produce 40%, but the latter describes a much larger body of shooting. One additional make among a fixed ten attempts changes the result by ten percentage points; among 500 attempts, it changes it by only 0.2 percentage points.
• Shot mix and role. Compare catch-and-shoot opportunities with shots created off the dribble, and open attempts with contested ones. The NBA tracks catch-and-shoot, pull-up and contested shooting separately; overall 3P% does not reveal that mix.
• Comparison period. Keep regular-season and playoff samples separate unless intentionally combining them. Use the relevant season’s league average rather than applying today’s benchmark to every era.

Pace does not enter the 3P% formula: more possessions can create more attempts, but only the ratio of makes to attempts determines the percentage. For player comparisons built around both accuracy and workload, see our NBA three-point shooters comparison.

What 3P% does—and does not—tell you about efficiency

A hypothetical 40% three-point shooter scores 120 points per 100 three-point attempts, or 1.20 points per attempt. That equals the field-goal scoring return of making 60% of two-point attempts. This calculation excludes free throws, turnovers and extra chances from offensive rebounds.

That distinction matters: 3P% measures accuracy from three, not overall shooting efficiency. It is also different from the share of all shots taken from three, which measures shot selection.

For a metric that includes both twos and threes while crediting a made three’s extra point, use effective field goal percentage.