Nathan FieldThe Skool leaderboard ranks the members of a group by points, and on Skool points come from one thing: likes. This guide explains how points work, what each of the nine Skool levels needs and unlocks, what the leaderboard shows, and what you can change as an owner. Every fact comes from Skool's help centre or live skool.com pages, checked on 29 September 2026.
On Skool, a member earns 1 point each time another member likes their post, comment or reply. Points raise their level, from Level 1 at 0 points to Level 9 at 33,015 points. Each group's Leaderboards tab ranks members by points over 7 days, 30 days and all time, and shows what each level unlocks.
How members earn points on Skool
Skool's article on how points and levels work is short. Points are earned when others like your posts, comments and replies. One like is one point for the author.
Three things follow from that:
- Posting alone earns nothing. A post only earns points when other members like it. A helpful comment that gets ten likes is worth more than a post nobody likes.
- Levels belong to one group. A member at Level 3 in your group is Level 3 only there. If they join another group, they start at Level 1 like everyone else.
- Levels are on show. A member's level appears in front of their name and on their profile. Skool's locked course article says it shows at the bottom right of their avatar.
Do not mix points up with the daily activity chart on a profile. Skool's daily activity article says that chart counts liking posts, creating posts, commenting and voting in polls. It shows how active someone is. It does not add points.
Skool levels and the points each one needs
There are nine levels. Skool's help centre gives one table of points for all groups:
| Level | Total points needed | Points from the level before |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 0 | - |
| Level 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Level 3 | 20 | 15 |
| Level 4 | 65 | 45 |
| Level 5 | 155 | 90 |
| Level 6 | 515 | 360 |
| Level 7 | 2,015 | 1,500 |
| Level 8 | 8,015 | 6,000 |
| Level 9 | 33,015 | 25,000 |
The first few levels come fast. Five likes gets a new member to Level 2. After Level 5 the gaps get very large, and Level 9 takes 33,015 likes in one group.
Custom level names
Owners can give each level a name. Skool's help article mentions "custom level names for each group", and you can see them on public groups. AI Automation Society's leaderboard, for example, calls Level 1 "AI Explorer". The help centre has no step-by-step article for renaming levels, so we have not listed steps here.
What Skool levels unlock
A level on its own is a badge. Skool's help centre documents four things you can lock behind one.
Courses
Set a course to Level unlock and members see it locked in the Classroom until they reach that level. From Skool's level-lock article: click Edit course, select Level unlock, choose the level and click SAVE. Admins can open every course, so you will not see the locked view yourself. Our guide on how to create a course on Skool covers the other access options.
Events and calls
Skool's event permissions article lets you open an event to members on or above a level. Set it to Level 3 and members at Levels 3 to 9 get in.
Posting
The Unlock posting at Level 2 or 3 plugin stops new members posting until they have earned a few likes. Skool's plugins article says it is on both the Hobby and Pro plans, and suggests it for large groups. It notes this pushes new members to introduce themselves by commenting on your pinned post first. You switch it on under SETTINGS, then Plugins.
Chat
You can also make members reach a level before they can send direct messages. Skool's spam article says you can pick any level from 2 to 9, and that Level 9 basically turns chat off. It is under SETTINGS, then Plugins, and the plugins article suggests it once a group passes 1,000 members, mainly to cut spam.
How the Skool leaderboard works
Each group has a Leaderboards tab. We looked at the public Leaderboards pages of AI Automation Society and ChatGPT Users on 29 September 2026. Both showed the same layout:
- Your level and how many points you need for the next one.
- All nine levels, with the group's names for them, what each level unlocks (a course, posting, chat) and the share of members at each level.
- Three leaderboards: the last 7 days, the last 30 days and all time. Each showed the top 10 members. The 7-day and 30-day boards show points gained in that window. The all-time board shows total points.
- A Last updated time and a "How do points work?" link.
The short boards matter. A new member cannot catch someone with a long head start on the all-time board, but they can make the 7-day board.
The share of members per level is telling. In both groups, 88% to 89% of members were still at Level 1, meaning fewer than five likes.
Not everyone appears. Skool's member roles article says group creators, billing managers and admins are not included on the group's leaderboards. Moderators are not in that list.
Not the same as the Skool Games leaderboard
Skool has a second, separate leaderboard. The Skool Games leaderboard ranks whole communities by growth in monthly recurring revenue, not members by likes. Skool's Games FAQ says you need to be a member of its Skoolers group to see it. Our guide to Skool Games explains that one.
What owners can change, and what they cannot
From the help centre, an owner can:
- Name each level.
- Lock courses and events to a level, or combine a level with a tier. Skool's course permissions article allows Level Lock or Tier.
- Require Level 2 or 3 to post, and a level from 2 to 9 to chat.
- Skip the level for one member. Skool's course access article lets you open a Level Unlock course for a member by hand, under Membership Settings, then Courses.
The help centre does not describe any way to change how many points a like is worth, move the level thresholds, or give points by hand. Plan around the fixed table above.
Skool's Discovery ranking article also says removing inactive or Level 1 members does not improve your rank. It adds that some people like to lurk.
How owners use levels to keep members active
Skool's own advice points the same way. Its points article says admins can lock courses to levels "to further drive participation". Its engagement lesson, Engagement and 10 true regulars, includes praising your "model citizens" and running challenges and themes. Our guide to Skool community engagement goes through that lesson.
A few ideas of our own, built on the numbers above:
- Make Level 2 or 3 worth reaching. Level 3 is only 20 likes away. Put a short, useful course there, so the first unlock comes early.
- Like and reply to first comments. A like from you is a point for them. Getting a new member to five points gets them to Level 2.
- Talk about the 7-day board. New members can top it. The all-time board favours people who have been there longest.
For owners: quiet members are the ones who cancel
A member stuck at Level 1 has not had five likes. Often they have not posted at all. Quiet members are easy to lose, and in a paid group the first sign can be a cancellation. Skool gives you two tools on the Pro plan: AutoDM sends one welcome message within 1 to 5 minutes of someone joining, and a cancellation video plays on the cancel page. Our guide on how to reduce churn on Skool covers both.
Backpack adds the personal follow-up. Its Welcome Drip sends new members a series of welcome messages you write, and Cancellation Recovery messages a member who cancels, in your words, from your account. It is a Chrome extension plus our servers, so it runs with your computer off. It costs $9 a month for every Skool community you admin, every feature included, with 7 days free. Backpack is not made by or affiliated with Skool.
The Skool leaderboard and Skool levels are simple: likes make points, points make levels, and levels unlock what you choose. Used well, they give quiet members a clear first step.
FAQ
How do you get points on Skool?
You get 1 point each time another member likes your post, comment or reply in a group. Writing a post does not earn points on its own. Points count toward your level in that one group only. They do not carry over when you join a different Skool group, where you start at Level 1.
How many points do you need for each level on Skool?
Skool's help centre lists the points needed: Level 2 is 5, Level 3 is 20, Level 4 is 65, Level 5 is 155, Level 6 is 515, Level 7 is 2,015, Level 8 is 8,015 and Level 9 is 33,015. Everyone starts at Level 1 with 0 points. The help centre gives one table for all groups.
Do admins show on the Skool leaderboard?
No. Skool's member roles article says group creators, billing managers and admins are not included on that group's leaderboards. Moderators are not on that list, so they can still appear. This stops you and your admins taking the top spots from the members you want to reward.
Can you change points or levels on Skool?
Only partly. Owners can give each level a custom name and choose what unlocks at each level, such as courses, events, posting and chat. Skool's help centre does not describe any way to change the points a like is worth, move the level thresholds or give points by hand.
What does the 7-day leaderboard on Skool show?
It shows the members who gained the most points in the last 7 days. The Leaderboards tab also has a 30-day board and an all-time board. On the public groups we checked on 29 September 2026, each board showed the top 10 members, with points gained for the 7-day and 30-day boards.
Do you lose your Skool points if you leave a group?
Skool's article on making a paid member free says that when a removed member rejoins the group, their points, levels, course progress and contributions resume. It does not cover every way of leaving, so treat that as the documented case. Points in one group never move to another group.