Getting a good test score is on the priority list of MBA applicants aiming for the top business schools worldwide. Many U.S. business schools now share GRE score data for MBA admits, giving aspirants a clearer picture of where they stand and what their chances of admission might be.
Though the GMAT was considered the gold standard for applying to MBA programs, in the recent years, there has been a rise in GRE submissions for MBA programs.
As reported by P&Q based on U.S. News data, across the top 25 US business schools, the average GMAT share has come down by almost 12 points from 2022-24 – from 54.2% to 42.7%, while the GRE share went up from 29.6% to 32.6% during this period.
Surprisingly, India set a record, for the first time in 80 years, with the highest number of GRE test-takers at 113,304 during the 2022-23 testing period, surpassing the US which had 97,676 GRE test-takers, while during the same period, China had 57,769 taking the GRE.
The increasing number of Indian business schools accepting the GRE score would be one reason – and additionally this score also opens doors to international MS and MBA programs as well.
Another big advantage of using the GRE score to apply is that the score is valid for a 5-year period as opposed to the Indian test scores like the CAT/XAT/MAT which are valid for 1 year.
There are students who find themselves struggling with the comparatively tougher quant section in the GMAT. They may alternatively opt for the GRE to improve their test score and also their admission chances. So, the GRE score surely simplifies your journey to graduate studies. Also read: Michigan Ross MBA with scholarship after 3 years and GMAT-to-GRE switch
What is the average/median GRE score for the top MBA programs? Would it hurt my admission chances if I submit the GRE score instead of the GMAT? In this article, we have tried to provide answers to to these questions and more…
Average GRE scores at the top 15 US MBA programs
| Business School | GRE Verbal | GRE Quant | Average GRE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 163 | 163 | 326 |
| Stanford | 163 | 164 | 327 |
| Wharton | 162 | 163 | 325 |
| Chicago Booth | 161 | 163 | 324 |
| MIT Sloan | 162.5 | 164.5 | 327 |
| Columbia | 162 | 162 | 324 |
| Northwestern Kellogg | 162 | 163 | 325 |
| Dartmouth Tuck | 161 | 161 | 322 |
| Michigan Ross | 159 | 162 | 321 |
| Yale | 164 | 166 | 330 |
| NYU Stern | 164 | 164 | 328 |
| Duke Fuqua | – | – | 318 |
| UC Berkeley Haas | 161 | 162 | 323 |
| Virginia Darden | – | – | 321 |
| Cornell Johnson | – | – | 324 |
Average GRE scores in USA
| Business School | GRE Verbal | GRE Quant | Average GRE |
|---|---|---|---|
| USC Marshall | – | – | 324 |
| CMU Tepper | – | – | 323 |
| UCLA Anderson | 162 | 165 | 327 |
| UT – Austin McCombs | 159 | 162 | 321 |
| Washington Foster | 159 | 160 | 319 |
| Indiana Kelley | 158 | 161 | 319 |
| UNC Kenan-Flagler | – | – | 319 |
| Georgetown McDonough | – | – | 319 |
| Rice Jones | 156 | 160 | 316 |
| Georgia Tech Scheller | 158 | 160 | 318 |
| Rochester Simon | 155.5 | 160 | 316 |
| Vanderbilt Owen | 159 | 159 | 318 |
| Notre Dame Mendoza | – | – | 315 |
| ASU Carey | – | – | 313 |
| Washington Olin | 163 | 164 | 327 |
| Boston Questrom | 157 | 161 | 318 |
| Texas A & M – Mays | – | – | 314 |
| Fordham Gabelli | – | – | 316 |
| Florida Warrington | – | – | 307 |
| Georgia Terry | – | – | 314 |
| Ohio Fisher | – | – | 317 |
US business schools with the highest percentage of candidates submitting GRE scores (in 2024) include Florida Warrington (59%), Berkeley Haas (58%), Dartmouth Tuck (46%), Duke Fuqua (44%), Georgetown McDonough (44%), Stanford (42%), Harvard (41%).
We’ve provided the latest updated GRE score data for the US business schools available on the schools’ websites. However, since the GRE score data for the non-US business schools is not so readily available, the data provided may not be for the most recent batch.
Average GRE scores at the top MBA programs in Canada
| Business School | GRE Verbal | GRE Quant | Average GRE |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Toronto – Rotman | 159 | 166 | 325 |
| University of Western Ontario – Ivey | – | – | 320 |
| University of British Columbia – Sauder | – | – | 320 |
Average GRE scores at the top MBA programs in Asia
| Business School | Location | GRE Verbal | GRE Quant | Average GRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISB – PGP | India | – | – | 319-330 |
| IIM-A PGPX | India | – | – | 324 |
| IIM-B EPGP | India | – | – | 323 |
| CEIBS | China | – | – | 326 |
| HKUST | China | – | – | 322 |
| NUS | Singapore | 157 | 165 | 322 |
Average GRE scores at the top MBA programs in Europe
| Business School | Location | GRE Verbal | GRE Quant | Average GRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INSEAD | France | 160 | 163 | 323 |
| London Business School | UK | 160 | 160 | 320 |
| Oxford – Said | UK | 160 | 160 | 320 |
| ESADE | Spain | 160 | 162 | 322 |
Though several top schools reported a rise in the GRE share, there are schools in which the proportion of students submitting the GRE score showed a decline as well. For example, from 2023 to 2024, at Georgia Tech Scheller, the GRE share went down from 30% to 14%, at Washington Olin, it saw a decline from 27% to 17%, while at UT Dallas Jindal, it dipped from 41% to 28%.
Also read: How GRE scores and percentiles are calculated
GRE score trends
ETS data of GRE test-takers reporting their graduate degree objective, showed that among those who responded (around 46% of the test-takers), 11,916 had indicated an MBA as their graduate degree objective.
Also, the highest numbers aiming for an MBA had between 3-7 years of full-time work experience – 22% of the examinees (2617) had 3-4 years of work experience while 23% (2,751) had 5-7 years of work experience.
These candidates who had 3-7 years of work experience obtained higher mean scores than other test takers (who had less than 3 years or more than 7 years of work experience) in the quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning and analytical writing measures.
Again, 79% of test-takers who indicated an MBA as their graduate degree objective wished to pursue a degree on campus. These test takers had higher scores in all the 3 measures compared to other test takers who wanted to pursue an online degree or a combination of both online and on-campus program.
GMAT vs GRE: Which test is right for you?
The GMAT is more widely accepted compared to the GRE. GMAC data shows that the GMAT is accepted by over 7,700 programs at more than 2,400 business schools worldwide while the GRE is accepted at around 1,300 business schools.
The top business schools, especially in the US have been open to receiving both the GRE and GMAT score during the MBA application process as they want to attract strong candidates from diverse backgrounds in order to broaden their applicant pool.
In fact, schools also mention this on their website that they have no preference for one test over the other. However, you also need to know that there may be some employers who may ask for a GMAT score.
So, finally, submitting the GRE or the GMAT score is a personal choice based on various factors. However, the test score is just one element. As applications are assessed holistically, you need to put in effort and time to produce high-quality MBA essays, come up with great recommendations, and do well in your MBA interviews in order to get an admit from your dream school.
Our team at MBA Crystal Ball has helped thousands of applicants get into the top schools, often with scholarships. Drop us a line at info@mbacrystalball.com if you need our help.
You may be interested in:
- Switching from GMAT to GRE gave me better results and scholarship says Civil Engineer
- Is a 323 GRE score good? Second MBA abroad with scholarship for happy IIT IIM grad
- ISB with GRE score: Why I chose GRE over GMAT
- Low GRE scorer gets MBA admit with full scholarship worth $125,000 after 15 rejections
References: 1, 2, 3, 4 | Photo by Anirudh (Unsplash)
