what gre score do you need to get into grad school
Congrats on making the choice to apply to grad school! But what types of GRE scores are your schools, and more chiefly your programs, looking for? In reality, you won't dig up much if you're searching for average GRE scores by school. Simply if you lot search for average GRE scores by program, you lot'll get a clear sense of the scores yous should be aiming for.
In this commodity, I'll explain why it's of import to search for average GRE scores by program instead of by school, equally well as how y'all tin find GRE scores for grad schools and apply them to set a personalized goal score, ultimately giving yous the best possible shot at getting admitted to your programs!
Tin You lot Find Average GRE Scores past School?
The truth isyou lot'll have piddling luck, if whatever, finding average GRE scores by school. The reason? Schools offering boilerplate GRE scores typically just practice so for individual programs,non for the unabridged institution. In other words, if you're looking for average GRE scores specific to where you're applying, you're way more probable to detect scores by program than y'all are past school.
Only why is this the case? Why don't schools offering overall averages, also? One reason is thatgrad programs can differ a lot from one another. So if we fail to take into account unique differences amongst programs, the average GRE scores nosotros end up with are extremely wide — too broad, really, to offer any insight into what scores you lot demand for a specific program.
That said, there are some basic patterns to note. Naturally, the average GRE scores for extremely prestigious institutions, such as Harvard and Stanford, are going to exist higher than the averages for less competitive schools such as UC Davis and the University of Kansas. One time again, though, these overarching averages aren't exactly helpful for aspiring grad students. Different undergrad, you're non really applying to the overall school but rather a specialized programme, with its own GRE expectations and requirements.
When it comes down to it, ii major factors affect the average GRE scores of a program: subject area and competitiveness. But we'll get more into this in the following section. In the meantime, if you'd like to read more most boilerplate GRE scores by major, check out our commodity.
OK, so, let'south sum up what we've learned so far. Information technology'due south easier and more than useful to search for average GRE scores past major than information technology is by school.Only what most the overall averages? Despite how broad they are, average GRE scores are helpful considering they highlight the general trends of exam takers in each GRE section.
Currently, the boilerplate GRE scores are:
- Exact: 149.97
- Quant: 152.57
- AW: 3.48
Unfortunately, these averages aren't smashing at predicting what scores you'll need for your particular programs. Moreover, t hese scores are the average scores of all exam takers, not admitted applicants. Therefore, we tin't know for certain whether these scores were actually high enough for applicants to get into grad schoolhouse. After all, non all programs are looking for boilerplate; some are OK with lower, and others prefer higher.
We've taken a cursory await at the overall average GRE scores as well as why we shouldn't rely on average GRE scores by school. Now, permit's move on to average GRE scores past program.
Average GRE Scores by Program: 2 Factors
How do field of study and competitiveness influence the boilerplate GRE scores of a plan? Let'due south take a wait.
Discipline
Mason is applying to a doctoral history program at Knuckles. Now, what do you recall will assist him out more than: looking upward the average GRE scores for Duke, or for the history plan itself? Every bit we'll see, narrowing his focus to the history program provides him with a more specific ready of scores he tin can aim for in lodge to stand up apart every bit an applicant.
But why? Permit's intermission this downwards a chip more than. First, by major.
History is an arts and humanities subject, a field focused more often than not on reading and writing. A history plan at Duke (really, at whatever school) likely values Verbal and AW scores over Quant scores. Therefore, we can assume the average GRE Quant score for Duke's history plan is lower than its averages for Verbal and AW.
Not certain what I mean? Look for yourself. Every bit you can come across, the programme'due south average GRE Exact and AW scores are adequately high — 165 and 4.5, respectively — while its average Quant score is merely 150.
In contrast, the boilerplate Quant score for Knuckles'south doctoral program in computer science is 167. That's 17 points higher up the average for the history program! And what accounts for this discrepancy? Well, computer science is a math-heavy subject, and Quant scores are more relevant (and more of import) to a computer science plan than they are to a history program. (Meanwhile, the figurer science program'southward average Verbal score is markedly lower than that of the history program.)
Equally you can encounter, if we were to have the average GRE scores of the entire university, we wouldn't exist able to place the distinct patterns among majors — namely, what GRE scores acquit heavier weight.
Competitiveness
Another factor to consider is competitiveness. In general, competitive programs expect high GRE scores, especially in the section more relevant to the program's field.
Let'southward render to Duke for a moment. According to its history program, "We admit very few students each year (fewer than 10), so our program is quite competitive." Nosotros already know history values Verbal scores over Quant scores, so the plan's average Verbal scores are likely higher than they are for Quant.
But because this particular history program is also extremely competitive, we tin can therefore presume the boilerplate Exact score is, objectively, pretty loftier.And this is true. Remember? The average Verbal score for Duke's history programme is 165 — that's in the acme 4 percent of test takers!
We've covered how subject field and competitiveness can bear upon the average GRE scores of a programme. Just how tin yous go about actually figuring out the boilerplate GRE scores ofyour programs?
How to Observe Average GRE Scores by Program
As previously stated, looking at the average GRE scores by school and major (i.e., by the specific plan y'all're interested in) is peculiarly helpful because it allows you lot to compare your scores with those of other applicants and gives you a specific gear up of GRE scores to aim for in order to boost your chance of access.
How do you detect average GRE scores? Follow the steps beneath for each of the programs yous're applying to.
#1: Go Online
The first step is to go online and peruse your schoolhouse's official website and yourprogram'due south webpages for specific GRE score info. I recommend starting with the admission reqs and FAQ pages, as they commonly address questions regarding GRE scores.
While browsing, utilise ctrl + F to look for the keywords "GRE," "GRE score," or "boilerplate." Another handy method is to search for "[Your Schoolhouse] [Your Program] average GRE scores" on Google.
Some programs lay out average GRE scores neatly. If you're lucky, you'll find something similar to what the Academy of Texas offers: a single document listing the average GRE scores of all grad programs bachelor at the schoolhouse.
Other programs, however, report averages a bit differently. For example, UCLA's Ph.D. program in clinical psychology offers average percentiles for incoming students. If you come across boilerplate percentiles, simply convert them to average scores using official ETS GRE data. (You can too cheque out our nifty commodity on GRE percentiles.)
On the other hand, you may go a broad range of averages instead of individual scores. Boston College'southward Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Cess (MESA) program states the following in an FAQ: "Our GRE-Verbal range averages effectually 155-164, GRE-Quantitative scores average around 158-167, and GRE-Analytical around iv.v-5."
Your job, and then, is to find the medians of these ranges and so you tin get an average score (or a much smaller range of scores) for each section. In this case, the boilerplate scores come out to 159-160 for Exact, 162-163 for Quant, and 4.5-five for AW.
Sometimes, though, programs study GRE info in entirely unlike ways without using averages at all. Many schools, such as the Illinois Institute of Technology, enquire applicants to attain minimum "cutoff" scores. These are not averages but absolute minimum scores you lot'll demand to have in order to have your application considered. Other schools may suggest target scores or offer recommendations for those hoping to be competitive applicants.
Another point to exist aware of is this:if a program lists average scores for only a certain section of the GRE, focus on that section the most. For example, e'er score high on Quant for engineering science programs and high on Verbal for social sciences programs. It's of import to score higher on the more relevant section to your program because information technology carries heavier weight. On less relevant sections, aim for at least the discipline'southward average for less competitive programs and the 75th percentile or higher for more competitive programs.
Found boilerplate GRE scores for all of your programs already? Great! Go ahead and bound to the section titled "How to Ready a Goal Score." If yous haven't been every bit lucky, keep to step two.
#ii: Phone call Your Program
If surfing the web is giving you problem, go offline and telephone call your programme. Ask if they keep a tape of GRE scores. If so, inquire nigh the boilerplate GRE scores of previously admitted applicants. Call back, it's OK to be direct, as long as yous're being polite.
If your program can't or won't divulge the info (some schools don't fifty-fifty track GRE scores at all!), inquire if they accept GRE cutoffs or if they can recommend a range of GRE scores to aim for.
Nobody'south budging? Head to pace three.
#three: Verify the Competitiveness of Your Program
You've searched online and called the plan, but you're struggling to make progress. The concluding step is to practice a niggling excavation on the competitiveness of your plan. You'll primarily desire to search for program rankings (or school rankings, if program rankings are unavailable) on reliable websites. U.Due south. News is an fantabulous resource to kickoff with.
While researching, actively compare your program to similar programs at other schools and get a feel for the competition's GRE score expectations. Specifically, expect for programs with about equal competitiveness to yours and cheque if they offering GRE score info on their websites. You can and so use their scores to judge the averages for your own program.
Here are some general guidelines to remember while conducting your research:
- Competitive programs expect high GRE scores, specially in the section more relevant to the plan's bailiwick.
- In general, very competitive programs look for GRE scores in the 90th percentile or college on relevant sections, and in the75th-80th percentiles or college on less relevant sections.
- For less competitive programs,aim for at least your discipline's averages. Consult official ETS data for exact averages.
By now, y'all should have a pretty articulate thought equally to what the average GRE scores are for each of your programs. Congrats! But what exactly are you supposed to do with all of this info you lot've collected?
How to Fix a Goal GRE Score
A goal score is the score nigh probable to secure you lot admission to the programs you lot're applying to. In order to gear up goal GRE scores for grad schools, it'south important y'all know how to finer aggregate GRE score info for all of your programs (refer to the previous steps if you're confused).
Got it? Now, let's learn how to set a goal score, together.
Footstep one: Make a Chart
Start by creating a simple table like the one beneath. In this table, you lot'll record your schools' names, what they say about GRE scores, and any Verbal, Quant, or AW scores they specify (as averages, cutoff scores, etc.).
Remember Mason? He'south applying for a Ph.D. in history. Hither's what he'd write in his tabular array:
| Schoolhouse | What They Say | Verbal Score | Quant Score | AW Score |
| Duke | ||||
| University of Maryland | ||||
| UC Berkeley | ||||
| Johns Hopkins |
Step 2: Fill It Out
Next, make full out the chart using the (average) GRE score info you've found for your programs.
If yous didn't find whatever GRE score info for a program, write "North/A." If yous found not-average GRE score info, such as cutoff or target scores, record the scores in the advisable section columns. (Just be sure to specify what type of GRE scores they are using the "What They Say" column.)
Bricklayer establish the average GRE scores for Duke's history programme on its FAQ folio. He records those scores in his table.
But the University of Maryland and UC Berkeley primarily release boilerplate GRE score info as percentiles, not specific scores. Using ETS data, Stonemason speedily converts these percentiles into average scores. Not all percentiles correlate to specific GRE scores, and so Mason rounds the scores as best he tin can and records the info as follows:
| School | What They Say | Verbal Score | Quant Score | AW Score |
| Duke | Avg. scores: Exact 165, Quant 150, AW 4.5 | 165 | 150 | 4.5 |
| University of Maryland | Avg. percentiles: Verbal 86%, Quant 44%, AW 79% | 160 | 151 | four.5 |
| UC Berkeley | Avg. percentiles: Verbal 96%, Quant 71%; Avg. score: AW 5.42 | 165 | 158-159 | 5.42 |
| Johns Hopkins |
Johns Hopkins is a tough one, though. Mason can't find any GRE scores online, and nobody would requite him GRE score info over the phone. As a last resort, Mason visitsU.S. News to endeavor to judge the competitiveness of the Johns Hopkins history program.
According to this U.Due south. News rankings folio, the Johns Hopkins history program tied for #11 in 2017. Mason thinks #11 is fairly loftier.
But he wants to know how the Johns Hopkins plan compares to other programs he's applying to. As a result, Mason takes a closer look at the rankings and realizes Johns Hopkins is vii spots above Duke (tied for #xviii) and seven spots below UC Berkeley (tied for #iv).
Using this info, and then, Stonemason can estimate the boilerplate GRE scores for Johns Hopkins' history program. If Johns Hopkins is ranked right in the heart between Duke and UC Berkeley, its average scores are likely between Duke'due south and UC Berkeley'due south.
Mason makes a annotation of his findings in his tabular array, adding his estimated scores for Johns Hopkins:
| School | What They Say | Verbal Score | Quant Score | AW Score |
| Knuckles | Avg. scores: Verbal 165, Quant 150, AW 4.5 | 165 | 150 | 4.5 |
| University of Maryland | Avg. percentiles: Verbal 86%, Quant 44%, AW 79% | 160 | 151 | four.5 |
| UC Berkeley | Avg. percentiles: Exact 96%, Quant 71%; Avg. score: AW 5.42 | 165 | 158-159 | five.42 |
| Johns Hopkins | No direct info; ranked #11 by U.S. News | 165 (estimated) | 154 (estimated) | 5.0 (estimated) |
Step 3: Find the Highest Score for Each Section
If you're similar Mason, you should take your table complete and ready to go! Now, it's time to figure out your goal scores.
Commencement by finding the highest score for each GRE section on your table. For Stonemason, those scores are 165 for Verbal, 159 for Quant, and v.42 for AW.
Next, add 2 points to Exact and Quant to get your goal scores for these sections. Mason's goal scores for Verbal and Quant are 167 and 161, respectively. To get your AW goal score, round to the nearest score and add a half signal. Mason's AW goal score is a perfect vi.
Recall, goal scores are the scores most likely to go y'all into all of the programs you're applying to. Equally for Mason, he's applying to some fairly competitive history programs, so he'll definitely desire to score higher than his programs' averages if he's hoping to stand out a lot from other applicants.
That said, getting below your goal score, on whatsoever section, doesn't automatically upshot in a rejection. If Bricklayer scores a few points below his Exact goal score — something, allow's say, closer to 164 — he still has a good shot at getting admitted into his programs, bold the rest of his application is impressive. It's only worrisome if your GRE scores, especially the ones in your more relevant section, fall well below your goal score. A good benchmark to use to gauge whether your score is getting too depression is the lowest average score on your tabular array.
If your goal score is extremely high, as is Mason'south Verbal score (167 is in the 98th percentile!), and you're struggling to hit it,endeavour to aim for at to the lowest degree the highest averages on your tabular array. You won't necessarily stand out for the about competitive programme on your list, only you lot should nonetheless exist a fairly competitive applicant for your other programs.
Boilerplate GRE Scores for Grad Schools
Now that y'all're a full pro at researching GRE scores and making snazzy tables, I'd similar to give you lot a modest glimpse into how average GRE scores can vary by program.
The following table lists the boilerplate GRE scores of various programs and schools across the U.Southward.:
| Programme | Avg. Exact Score | Avg. Quant Score | Avg. AW Score |
| Stanford — Ph.D. in Economic science | 159 | 166 | 3.5-four |
| Harvard — Ph.D. in Education | 160-161 | 155 | 4.ix |
| University of Michigan — Ph.D. in Psychology | 159 | 155 | 4.53 |
| MIT — AeroAstro Graduate Program | 162 | 167 | 4.5 |
| UCLA — Grand.S. in Wellness Policy and Management | 154-155 | 157-158 | 4-iv.v |
| Rice — Ph.D. in English | 160+ | — | — |
| University of Washington — Thou.A. in Advice | 162 | 154 | 4.six |
| University of Notre Dame — Ph.D. in Biological Sciences | 157+ | 160+ | — |
Summary: Agreement GRE Scores for Grad Schools
Generally, it's more helpful to search for boilerplate GRE scores by school and major than to search for just one. Program averages are more than specific and have into account the wide array of differences among bailiwick and competitiveness, whereas schoolhouse averages are overly broad and difficult to detect.
Two major factors tin can help decide how loftier or low a program'south boilerplate GRE scores are: discipline and competitiveness. For example, engineering programs usually written report loftier average Quant scores, equally applicants are choosing to enter a math-heavy subject. In terms of competitiveness, the more competitive a plan is, the higher GRE scores it'll expect, particularly in the department more relevant to the field of study.
To look for average GRE scores by school and major, get online, call your programs, and inquiry the competitiveness of your programs using reliable ranking websites such as U.S. News.
Once you lot've gathered all of your programs' GRE score info, make a table to organize the numbers and decide your goal scores. A goal score is the score nearly likely to secure yous admission to all of your programs. To set a goal score, take the highest average GRE score for each section and add 2 points (add half a point and round to become your AW goal score).
What'south Adjacent?
Curious about average GRE scores by major? Or maybe you'd similar to see how your scores stack upwards against those of other examination takers. If so, try reading about average GRE scores and GRE percentiles.
Desire to know what a practiced GRE score is?Check out our guide to learn what a good GRE score is in general as well every bit for you specifically.
What'southward a proficient Exact score? A good Quant score? Our guides walk you through how to set Verbal and Quant goal scores then that y'all tin can get the scores you need for grad school!
We've written a eBook about the meridian five strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your GRE score. Download it for gratuitous now:
grasserwasheigandis.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.prepscholar.com/gre/blog/average-gre-scores-by-school/
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