GRE Scores for Top US Universities

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Prabhjyot KaurUpdated on 03 Feb 2025, 05:48 PM IST

The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is an important part of the application process for many of the top universities in the United States. Although some schools have made this test-optional, a good GRE score can make a huge difference in your application, especially for competitive programs in business, engineering, and the sciences. But what is a good GRE score for top universities like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Columbia? This article breaks down the ideal GRE scores for different programs, helping you understand what it takes to secure admission to the best US universities.

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GRE Score Requirement for US Universities 2025
Top 10 GRE Accepting Universities in USA 2025
GRE Scores for Top 10 US Universities

GRE Scores for Top US Universities

GRE score varies for each university and within departments of the same university. For instance, the University of California, Berkeley, requires a GRE score within the range of 154-159 for MS in Physics, but there is a requirement of a massive 167 GRE score for MS in English literature. The same is the case with other universities as well. While a majority of universities and departments accept the GRE, this, however, is not the sole criterion for admission.

GRE Score Requirement for US Universities 2025

GRE is an international aptitude test that determines eligibility for MS and MBA courses in the USA. The examination is conducted three times a year. It is a test of Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative and Analytical Reasoning ability of a candidate. It is conducted for a maximum score of 340 which is offered both online and offline across India.

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Indian students seeking to pursue MS in US must meet GRE requirements for US universities. However, the GRE is not a requirement for undergraduate courses in the USA. Applicants must strive to get a minimum GRE score for USA which is 315-320. However, top GRE colleges in USA consider a score of 325 or higher for acceptance to their MS/MBA programs. Along with that a minimum sectional GRE score is required for MS in USA and this may also vary depending on the course and competition.

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QS World University Ranking 2025	University	GRE Verbal Scores	GRE Quant Scores	GRE Writing Scores
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	157	162	5.3
6	Stanford University	158	163	4.5
11	University of Pennsylvania	168	160	4.3
12	University of California, Berkeley	155	161	4.5
16	Cornell University	165+	155+	3.5+
21	University of Chicago	156	161	-
23	Yale University	155 - 165	160-167	-
32	Johns Hopkins University	156	161	5
34	Columbia University	154 - 167	156 - 170	4
42	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	154 - 165	152 - 167	5
44	University of Michigan Ann Arbor	168	155	3.3
58	Carnegie Mellon University	159	161	4
61	Duke University	155 - 165	154 - 160	4.5
66	University of Texas Austin	160	159	-
69	University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign	155	165	4
72	University of California San Diego	157	151	4
76	University of Washington	156	167	-
89	Purdue University	151	155	3.5
114	Georgia Institute of Technology	150	150	4
116	University of Southern California	153	163	4
154	Texas A&M University	154	160	-
155	University of North Carolina	152	159	4.5
200	Arizona State University	154	162	-
203	University of Minnesota – Twin Cities	155	158	-
208	Ohio State University	163	164	-
297	University of Virginia	163	166	4.5
307	University of California Irvine	152	161	-
311	North Carolina State University	150	153	3
320	University of Colorado Boulder	155	152	-
365	University of Illinois–Chicago	152	151	-
396	Northeastern University	152	157	-
442	Colorado State University	153	157	-
466	University at Buffalo – SUNY	154	161	-
470	Iowa State University	148	163	3
565	University of Connecticut	154	155	-
601-610	Illinois Institute of Technology	148	158	2.5
741-750	University of Central Florida	151	155	-
761-770	University of Cincinnati	155	160	3.5
901-950	Michigan Technological University	148	153	3
951-1000	Clemson University	151	155	-
1001-1200	Mississippi State University	148	157	-

Top 10 GRE Accepting Universities in USA 2025

Here is the list of the top universities in the US according to the QS University Ranking 2025. All these universities are GRE-accepted universities in USA for most MS courses. Though GRE is considered a standardized exam, many universities are no more mandating minimum GRE scores for USA as many applicants are facing a disadvantage despite having high academic performance. Some universities in USA have made the GRE only an optional requirement.

Top GRE Accepting Universities in the USA

Top Universities	QS Ranking 2025
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	1
Harvard University	4
Stanford University	6
California Institute of Technology	10
University of Pennsylvania	11
University of California, Berkeley	12
Cornell University	16
University of Chicago	21
Princeton University	22
Yale University	23

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GRE Scores for Top 10 US Universities

Though many GRE-accepted universities in USA 2025 don't have minimum GRE requirements and sectional cutoffs, Indian students must fulfill the overall GRE score required for top universities. A low sectional score doesn't help with USA admissions either. Also, GRE requirements may vary from course to course in the same university as determined by the respective university. Indian students require good GRE scores for scholarships in USA. Many universities like Purdue, Boston University, University of Cincinnati don't ask for GRE scores at all for particular courses.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on April 10, 1861, MIT has five schools offering over 30 courses. The schools include the School of Architecture and Planning, School of Engineering, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, MIT Sloan School of Management, and School of Science. It is one of the oldest universities in the US and is the highest-ranked university in the world more than 10 times according to the QS world university rankings. It is among the GRE accepted universities in USA 2025 for most MS courses. However, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science doesn't require GRE scores.

Average GRE Score Requirements

Average GRE score in the quantitative section	158
Average GRE score in the verbal section	159
Writing	5.3

Harvard University

One of the top-ranked universities in the US, there is a lot of competition to get into this university. A good GRE score will improve a student's chance of getting into this university. The GRE score requirement depends on the course the student is applying for. A course in science will require students to have a higher score in the quantitative section while a course in a subject like education will require a higher verbal reasoning score.

Average GRE Score Requirements

Average GRE score in the quantitative section	160-170
Average GRE score in the verbal section	165
Writing	4.0-5.0

Stanford University

Founded in 1885, Stanford is recognized as one of the world’s leading research and teaching institutions. The seven schools of Stanford - Business, Earth Sciences, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Sciences, Law and Medicine offer over 15 degrees. Students from Stanford prefer to follow the path of entrepreneurship even though they get job offers from top companies after they graduate. Stanford, too, follows a high standard when it comes to accepting GRE scores and is one of the top GRE-accepted universities in USA.