This page is a quick reference checkpoint for DENSE_RANK in ORACLE: behavior, syntax rules, edge cases, and a minimal example; plus the official vendor documentation.
DENSE_RANK assigns a ranking number to each row, giving equal values the same rank but without gaps after ties.
Behavior: Assigns consecutive ranks with no gaps; tied rows receive the same rank, and the next distinct row gets rank+1.
If this behavior feels unintuitive, the tutorial below explains the underlying pattern step-by-step.
Syntax: DENSE_RANK() OVER (analytic_clause). Empty parentheses required.
SELECT department_id, last_name, salary, DENSE_RANK() OVER (ORDER BY salary DESC) AS dense_rank FROM employees;
If you came here to confirm syntax, you’re done. If you came here to get better at window functions, choose your next step.
DENSE_RANK is part of a bigger window-function pattern. If you want the “why”, start here: Ranking Functions
Reading docs is useful. Writing the query correctly under pressure is the skill.
For the authoritative spec, use the vendor docs. This page is the fast “sanity check”.
View ORACLE Documentation →Looking for more functions across all SQL dialects? Visit the full SQL Dialects & Window Functions Documentation.