Cornell's GRE policy is set at the individual college and department level rather than university-wide — Engineering has largely gone test-optional, while several Arts & Sciences PhD departments and specific professional programmes still require or recommend it.
Does Cornell Require the GRE?
| College / Programme | GRE Status |
|---|---|
| College of Engineering (most MEng/MS) | Optional |
| College of Engineering PhD | Optional, department-dependent |
| Graduate School (Arts & Sciences PhD) | Varies — many departments still require |
| Johnson Graduate School of Management (MBA) | GMAT or GRE accepted |
| Cornell Tech (NYC campus, MS programmes) | Optional |
Competitive GRE Scores at Cornell
| Programme | Competitive Quant | Competitive Verbal |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science (MEng/MS) | 165 – 170 | 155 – 162 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | 162 – 168 | 152 – 160 |
| Operations Research and Information Engineering (ORIE) | 165 – 170 | 155 – 162 |
| Economics PhD | 165 – 170 | 158 – 165 |
| Johnson MBA (GRE track) | 160 – 165 | 155 – 162 |
Cornell's ORIE and Computer Science programmes are among its most internationally competitive graduate admits — submitted scores in these departments cluster tightly near the top of the GRE scale even where the test is optional.
Should You Submit If GRE Is Optional at Cornell?
Submit if your score is at or above the competitive range for your target department; a strong GRE score can help distinguish your application in departments where undergraduate GPA scales vary widely across countries. If your score would fall below the competitive range, omitting it under an optional policy is a reasonable choice.
GRE Is Separate From English Proficiency
A GRE score does not satisfy Cornell's English language requirement. International applicants still need TOEFL or IELTS:
| Requirement | Cornell Policy |
|---|---|
| GRE | Varies by college/department — see table above |
| TOEFL | Required — see our Cornell TOEFL Requirements guide |
| IELTS | Required — see our Cornell IELTS Requirements guide |
GRE Score Validity
GRE scores are valid for 5 years from the test date — useful to know if you sat the test earlier in your degree and are applying to Cornell now.
Prepare for TOEFL with Gabble — while preparing for GRE, run your TOEFL preparation in parallel; Cornell's competitive TOEFL benchmark is 100+. Or prepare for IELTS.