The most frequently asked question, what is a good GRE Score? And how much should I score to get into a top university? Are you having the same questions? If yes, you reached your destination of answers.
What does a good GRE score mean?
To start with, a good GRE score depends on the university and the program you choose to apply. To get selected for top Ivy universities, the score must be 328+ for the Verbal and Quantitative sections together. At the same time, it doesn’t mean only 328 is the best score. As per our research, the good GRE score for any individual will be 317-327 on average. To elaborate,
| Verbal | Quant | AWA |
|---|---|---|
| 158-162 | 159-164 | 4.5 |
Assume, a person with a score of 280 is applying for a university that has a cut off of just 270, then his/her score is good enough and qualifying. But if the same person is applying for Stanford with the same score, he/she cannot get qualified. Each university or college has its benchmarks. Before setting up your target score go through the college websites and check the GRE Cut-off marks.
[Read More: Why GRE Is a Good Option For MBA?]
Here are some top universities and their average GRE Cut-offs for Verbal and Quantitative sections.
| University | Average Verbal score | Average Quant score |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 157 | 162 |
| Yale University | 162 | 160 |
| Stanford University | 158 | 163 |
| Harvard University | 162 | 165 |
| Princeton University | 158 | 163 |
| Columbia University | 164 | 163 |
| University of California Berkeley | 155 | 161 |
| UPENN University | 162 | 160 |
| Georgia Technological university | 155 | 161 |
| Texas A&M University | 154 | 160 |
| California Technological University | 158 | 166 |
| Arizona State University | 154 | 162 |
| Colorado State University | 153 | 157 |
| University of Central Florida | 151 | 155 |
| Mississippi State University | 148 | 157 |
If you observe, each university has set its norms and that depends upon the programs they are offering. The above mentioned average scores are given considering all the programs. Generally, they differ for each program.
For example,
Considering Yale University’s specifications, the Biological sciences stream’s estimated score range for the verbal section should be 162-166, and quantitative should be 160-164. And for computer science, the verbal section estimated score range should be 155-159 and for quantitative 161-165. A good score varies from program to program itself in one university. So there is no point in confirming an ideal score in GRE. However taking intensive GRE Training Sessions will help you to score enough to get into desired program stream.
Here are the average GRE scores needed in Verbal, Quantitative, and AWA to get into the stream you wish for.
| Program Streams | Verbal | Quantitative | AWA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life sciences | 151 | 151 | 3.8 | 305.8 |
| Physical Sciences | 153 | 158 | 3.8 | 314.8 |
| Engineering | 150 | 159 | 3.6 | 312.6 |
| Social Sciences | 153 | 150 | 4 | 307 |
| Humanities and Art | 157 | 149 | 4.2 | 310.2 |
| Education | 157 | 149 | 4.2 | 310.2 |
| Business | 150 | 152 | 3.7 | 305.7 |
Now as you got the idea of what the target score should be, build a blueprint of how to prepare for GRE based on the sections you need to concentrate on. To crack GRE, smart work is required along with hard work. Practice more and score more.
