GRE requirements at top US universities changed significantly between 2020 and 2026 — many schools went test-optional or test-free, while some reinstated requirements post-pandemic. This guide gives the current state of GRE requirements at the top 10 US universities.
GRE Score Scale
| Component | Score Range |
|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 130–170 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 130–170 |
| Analytical Writing | 0–6 |
| Total (V+Q) | 260–340 |
GRE Requirements and Competitive Scores by University
1. MIT
| Status | Varies by department |
|---|
| Most engineering/science | Required (reinstated 2024) |
| EECS PhD | Required |
| Management (Sloan) | Not required (GMAT accepted) |
| Competitive Quant | 168–170 |
| Competitive Verbal | 160–165 |
MIT reinstated GRE requirements for most STEM departments after 2023 — one of the few top schools to do so.
2. Stanford
| Status | Varies by department |
|---|
| Engineering | Optional (most programmes) |
| CS | Optional |
| Business (GSB) | GMAT or GRE |
| Competitive Quant (STEM) | 167–170 |
| Competitive Verbal | 162–168 |
3. Harvard
| Status | Mostly optional |
|---|
| GSAS (most depts) | Optional |
| Business School | GMAT or GRE |
| Medical School | MCAT (not GRE) |
| Competitive Quant | 165–170 |
| Competitive Verbal | 163–170 |
4. Caltech
| Status | Required for most programmes |
|---|
| All STEM PhD | Required |
| Competitive Quant | 168–170 |
| Competitive Verbal | 160–165 |
5. UC Berkeley
| Status | Optional (most) |
|---|
| EECS | Optional |
| Other engineering | Optional |
| Competitive Quant (for EECS) | 165–170 |
| Competitive Verbal | 158–165 |
6. Princeton
| Status | Required for PhD (most) |
|---|
| Most PhD programmes | Required |
| Competitive Quant | 165–170 |
| Competitive Verbal | 162–168 |
7. Columbia
| Status | Varies by department |
|---|
| Engineering | Optional |
| GSAS | Optional (some require) |
| Business School | GMAT or GRE |
| Competitive Quant | 165–170 |
8. University of Chicago
| Status | Required for PhD (most) |
|---|
| Most departments | Required |
| Business School (Booth) | GMAT or GRE |
| Competitive Quant | 165–170 |
9. Yale
| Status | Optional (most) |
|---|
| GSAS | Optional |
| Law School | LSAT (not GRE) |
| Competitive Quant | 163–168 |
10. Johns Hopkins
| Status | Varies by department |
|---|
| Engineering | Optional |
| Medicine/JHSPH | Programme-specific |
| Competitive Quant | 163–168 |
The Pattern: What You Need to Know
| Pattern | Detail |
|---|
| STEM subjects at MIT, Princeton, Caltech | GRE still required |
| Humanities and social sciences | Largely test-optional |
| Business schools (MBAs) | GMAT primarily; GRE accepted equally |
| Medical schools | MCAT required; GRE not accepted |
| Law schools | LSAT required; GRE not accepted |
GRE Competitive Benchmarks (STEM)
For competitive STEM PhD applications at top 10 US schools:
| Target | GRE Quant | GRE Verbal |
|---|
| MIT / Caltech | 168–170 (98th–99th percentile) | 160–165 |
| Stanford / UC Berkeley | 165–170 (93rd–99th) | 158–165 |
| Princeton / Chicago | 165–170 | 160–168 |
For Indian applicants: Most IIT and BITS graduates score 165–170 in GRE Quant without extensive preparation — this is the expected floor, not a differentiator, at these schools.
You Still Need TOEFL (Separate from GRE)
A strong GRE score does not exempt you from TOEFL. You need both for international students:
| Test | What It Measures |
|---|
| GRE | Academic aptitude (Verbal, Quant, Writing) |
| TOEFL | English language proficiency |
Competitive TOEFL: 100–120 iBT for most top 10 US universities.
Prepare for TOEFL with Gabble — while preparing for GRE, plan your TOEFL preparation in parallel. TOEFL 100+ is the competitive score for top US graduate schools. AI-powered speaking and writing practice.