UCLA's GRE policy is set at the department level, with most Samueli Engineering and Graduate Division programmes having moved to optional or fully test-blind policies. Anderson School of Management accepts GRE alongside GMAT for its MBA.
Does UCLA Require the GRE?
| School / Programme | GRE Status |
|---|---|
| Samueli School of Engineering (most MS/PhD) | Optional |
| Graduate Division (Arts & Sciences PhD) | Varies, several departments went test-blind post-2021 |
| UCLA Anderson School of Management (MBA) | GMAT or GRE accepted |
| Luskin School of Public Affairs | Not required |
Competitive GRE Scores at UCLA
| Programme | Competitive Quant | Competitive Verbal |
|---|---|---|
| Samueli Computer Science | 163 - 168 | 152 - 160 |
| Samueli Electrical Engineering | 160 - 166 | 150 - 158 |
| Economics PhD | 165 - 170 | 158 - 165 |
| Anderson MBA (GRE track) | 160 - 165 | 155 - 162 |
Should You Submit If GRE Is Optional at UCLA?
Submit a strong score if you have one, particularly for Samueli's Computer Science programme where the applicant pool remains highly competitive. Several UCLA Graduate Division departments moved to fully test-blind policies (not accepting scores at all) after 2021, confirm your specific department's current policy, since "optional" and "test-blind" are meaningfully different.
GRE Is Separate From English Proficiency
A GRE score does not satisfy UCLA's English language requirement. International applicants still need TOEFL or IELTS:
| Requirement | UCLA Policy |
|---|---|
| GRE | Varies by department, see table above |
| TOEFL | Required, see our UCLA TOEFL Requirements guide |
| IELTS | Required, see our UCLA 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; UCLA's competitive TOEFL benchmark is 100+. Or prepare for IELTS.