UC Berkeley's GRE policy is mostly optional across its College of Engineering and Letters and Science graduate departments — one of several top public universities to relax its requirement after 2020. Haas School of Business accepts GMAT or GRE for its MBA.
Does UC Berkeley Require the GRE?
| School / Programme | GRE Status |
|---|---|
| College of Engineering (EECS, ME, Civil, IEOR) | Optional |
| College of Letters and Science (most PhD) | Optional |
| Haas School of Business (MBA) | GMAT or GRE accepted |
| Goldman School of Public Policy (MPP) | Optional |
Competitive GRE Scores at UC Berkeley
| Programme | Competitive Quant | Competitive Verbal |
|---|---|---|
| EECS (MS/PhD) | 165 – 170 | 158 – 165 |
| Economics PhD | 165 – 170 | 158 – 165 |
| Goldman School (MPP, GRE track) | 158 – 163 | 158 – 165 |
| Haas MBA (GRE track) | 163 – 168 | 158 – 165 |
Berkeley's EECS PhD is one of the world's most competitive graduate programmes — acceptance rates are typically under 3%. Even under an optional policy, admitted students who submit scores cluster near the top of the GRE range.
Should You Submit If GRE Is Optional at Berkeley?
Submit a strong score if you have one, particularly for EECS where a large share of the competitive applicant pool does submit. If your score would sit below the competitive range, Berkeley's optional policy makes omission reasonable provided the rest of your application is strong.
GRE Is Separate From English Proficiency
A GRE score does not satisfy Berkeley's English language requirement. International applicants still need TOEFL or IELTS:
| Requirement | UC Berkeley Policy |
|---|---|
| GRE | Mostly optional — see table above |
| TOEFL | Required — see our UC Berkeley TOEFL Requirements guide |
| IELTS | Required — see our UC Berkeley IELTS Requirements guide |
GRE Score Validity
GRE scores are valid for 5 years from the test date.
Prepare for TOEFL with Gabble — while preparing for GRE, run your TOEFL preparation in parallel; Berkeley's competitive TOEFL benchmark is 100+. Or prepare for IELTS.