If you are building your college list for the year ahead, you have probably asked one question: which top universities that accept GRE scores actually fit your profile? The good news is that GRE scores are still accepted at thousands of graduate schools worldwide, including MIT, Columbia, Cornell, and Johns Hopkins.
The confusing part is that GRE policy is no longer a single, university-wide rule. Individual departments, and sometimes individual programs inside the same department, set their own requirements. Some ask for a strong quantitative score. Some make the GRE optional. A growing number, including large parts of Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the University of Michigan, do not ask for it at all.
This guide breaks down exactly which universities accept GRE scores for master’s, PhD, and MBA programs, which departments have dropped the requirement, and how to decide whether to send your score. Since most graduate programs open applications for the following fall roughly a year in advance, this guide is written with the upcoming Fall 2027 intake in mind.
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What Is the GRE, and Why Do Universities Still Ask for It?
The GRE General Test is a standardized exam administered by ETS that measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing on a common scale. Graduate schools use it to compare applicants from different countries, degrees, and grading systems. Each section is scored from 130 to 170, giving a combined range of 260 to 340, and scores stay valid for five years from the test date.
Even at universities that no longer require it, the GRE can still support an application. According to ETS, 87% of applicants who submit GRE scores to test-optional programs are accepted, and over 1,300 business schools plus more than 100 ABA-approved law schools accept GRE scores alongside or instead of the GMAT or LSAT.
Want to know which top universities accept GRE scores for your program?Connect with a Career Launcher study-abroad counsellor for personalised guidance on university shortlisting, GRE requirements and your application strategy.
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Top Universities That Accept GRE Scores
GRE policy at nearly every major research university is now set department by department rather than campus-wide, and it is reviewed annually. The table below summarizes what each university’s official admissions pages state right now. Where a page has already confirmed its Fall 2027 policy, that is noted directly; where the most recent public confirmation still refers to the 2026 cycle, treat it as the latest known position and verify with the specific program before you test or apply.
| University | Official GRE Policy |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | No university-wide minimum score. Some departments require it (Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, for AY2026); others, including Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry, do not require it at all. |
| Stanford University | Set school by school. The Graduate School of Business requires either the GMAT or GRE with no minimum score. Computer Science PhD/MS and Chemical Engineering do not require it. The Graduate School of Education will not require it starting the 2027-28 cycle. |
| Columbia University | GRE is optional for Columbia Engineering and the MS in Data Science for the 2026 admission cycle (Spring and Fall 2026); this is the most recently confirmed policy at time of writing. |
| Cornell University | Set per college and department. Several Engineering PhD programs, including Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering, are not accepting GRE scores for Fall 2026. The Johnson MBA accepts either the GMAT or GRE. |
| University of California, Berkeley | Only a minority of Berkeley’s 125-plus graduate programs still require the GRE (select PhDs in Astrophysics, Biostatistics, Business Administration, and Chemistry, plus the Master of Public Policy). Most other departments have eliminated it. |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Varies by department. Psychology PhD, the joint Computational Biology PhD, and several Dietrich College programs no longer require it. Parts of the School of Computer Science still request it when applicable. |
| Princeton University | Required or not depending on the specific graduate program; check the university’s GRE requirements table for your department. From Fall 2026 admission onward, scores are only considered if they remain valid as of the date the application opens. |
| Johns Hopkins University | Set by program. The Electrical and Computer Engineering department lists the GRE as optional for its MSE track and not required for its PhD track, with a competitive band of roughly 156 verbal, 161 quantitative, and 5.0 analytical writing for applicants who do submit. |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Set by department. Electrical and Computer Engineering lists the GRE General Test as optional. Materials Science and Engineering no longer requires it. The Scheller MBA accepts the GMAT, GMAT Focus, or GRE. Fall 2027 applications opened August 17, 2026. |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | Rackham Graduate School discontinued the GRE for all PhD admissions starting the 2022-23 cycle. Mechanical Engineering confirms the GRE is optional for its Fall 2027 MSE application and not used at all for the PhD. |
| Duke University | Set per program through The Graduate School. The Sociology PhD and Quantitative Financial Economics program require the GRE General Test. Physics PhD, Chemistry PhD, and Graduate Liberal Studies list it as optional or not required. |
| University of Texas at Austin | GRE is required by default per the Graduate School catalog unless a program states otherwise. The McCombs MBA accepts the GRE or GMAT. The Mathematics PhD waived its GRE requirement effective for Fall 2027 applicants. |
A number of other well-known institutions also weigh GRE scores as part of a broader graduate profile. Career Launcher covers admission trends and acceptance data for several of them, including Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, Boston University, New York University, and Harvard University. Since these schools also publish department-specific test policies, always confirm the exact requirement on the program page before you register for the GRE.
What Counts as a Competitive GRE Score?
Universities rarely publish a hard cutoff, but a few official pages do share ranges from recently admitted students. These figures come directly from university sources and should be read as context, not a guarantee.
| Source | What the official page states |
| Cornell Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (PhD) | Successful applicants generally present a GPA above 3.5, a quantitative GRE score above 160, and a verbal GRE score above 153 (GRE no longer accepted for Fall 2026 in this department). |
| Columbia Engineering | Average GRE quantitative scores for recent entering classes rank around the 91st percentile; there is no formal minimum. |
| Johns Hopkins Electrical and Computer Engineering | Lists a competitive band of roughly 156 or above verbal, 161 or above quantitative, and 5.0 or above analytical writing, alongside a GPA of at least 3.7, for applicants who choose to submit scores. |
| MIT and Stanford (multiple departments) | Both explicitly state there is no minimum GRE score; applications are reviewed holistically alongside transcripts, recommendations, and research experience. |
Universities and Departments That No Longer Require the GRE
If your target programs have moved away from standardized testing, you are not alone. Here is where the shift is clearest:
- Stanford: Computer Science PhD and MS, Chemical Engineering, and the Graduate School of Education (from 2027-28) do not require GRE scores.
- Columbia: Columbia Engineering and the MS in Data Science made the GRE optional for the full 2026 admission cycle.
- Cornell: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering PhD programs are not accepting GRE scores for Fall 2026.
- UC Berkeley: Civil and Environmental Engineering no longer requires or accepts the GRE; the Master of Information and Cybersecurity treats it as optional.
- Carnegie Mellon: Psychology PhD and the joint Computational Biology PhD program have dropped the requirement entirely.
- University of Michigan: Rackham has excluded the GRE from all PhD admissions decisions since the 2022-23 cycle, and Mechanical Engineering confirms it stays optional for the Fall 2027 master’s application.
- Georgia Tech: Materials Science and Engineering no longer requires GRE scores, and Electrical and Computer Engineering lists the general test as optional.
- UT Austin: The Mathematics PhD program waived its GRE requirement effective for Fall 2027 applicants, though it remains optional and recommended.
If a program you like has gone GRE-optional, an ETS-reported acceptance rate of 87% for applicants who still choose to submit scores suggests it can be worth sending a strong result anyway, especially if your undergraduate transcript is thin on quantitative coursework.
GRE or GMAT: What Business and Some Engineering Schools Accept
Many MBA and management programs treat the GRE as a direct alternative to the GMAT. Stanford’s Graduate School of Business accepts either exam with no stated preference and no minimum score. Cornell’s Johnson School, Georgia Tech’s Scheller College, and UT Austin’s McCombs School all do the same. For a closer look at how these two exams compare for business school admissions, see this guide on GRE vs GMAT scores for global MBA programs.
GRE-Accepting Universities Outside the US
The GRE is not only a US requirement. Several universities in the UK and Canada now accept it for select master’s and MBA programs, sometimes as an alternative to country-specific exams. If you are weighing your options for the UK specifically, this breakdown of GRE and GMAT requirements for UK universities explains which programs ask for it and which don’t.
How to Decide Whether to Submit Your GRE Score
Use this quick checklist when a program lists the GRE as optional:
- Submit your score if: your quantitative or verbal section is strong relative to the program’s field, your undergraduate GPA is on the lower side, or your transcript is light on research or relevant coursework.
- Skip your score if: the program explicitly states GRE-optional applicants are reviewed on equal footing, and your score would sit below the department’s typical range.
- Always check first: some departments, such as UC Berkeley’s Master of Public Policy or select PhD tracks, cannot waive the GRE under any circumstance. Confirm this on the department page, not a general university FAQ.
How to Send Your Official GRE Scores to a University
- Register for the GRE General Test through your ETS account at ets.org and choose a test center date or the GRE Home Edition, well ahead of your application deadline.
- Take the test. Scores are scored on a 130 to 170 scale per section, plus a 0 to 6 analytical writing score, and remain valid for five years.
- Use ScoreSelect to choose which test date’s scores to send. You control which attempts a university sees.
- Enter each university’s official institution code, and department code where applicable, either on test day or afterward through an Additional Score Report request.
- Allow several weeks for ETS to deliver official scores; most graduate schools note four to six weeks for processing and matching to your application.
- Check your applicant portal to confirm the score has been matched, rather than emailing the admissions office directly, since most departments process this in batches.
Key Takeaways
- GRE policy is set department by department at nearly every top university, not campus-wide, so always check the specific program page and the cycle it applies to.
- MIT, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Duke, and UT Austin all have a mix of GRE-required and GRE-optional programs.
- Where the GRE is optional, ETS reports an 87% acceptance rate among applicants who still choose to submit scores.
- GRE scores are valid for five years, but some schools, including Princeton, now require the score to still be valid on the date the application opens.
- For MBA and some engineering programs, the GRE is frequently accepted as a direct alternative to the GMAT.
Recommended Reads
Go deeper into GRE strategy with these related guides:
- A Step-by-Step Guide to Crack the GRE Exam
- Top GRE-Friendly Universities
- Beyond the GRE Score: What Else Admissions Committees Look At
- Good MS Programs Without a GRE Score
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the GRE, in simple terms?
The GRE General Test is a standardized exam from ETS that scores verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Graduate schools use it as one common yardstick to compare applicants from different educational backgrounds.
Do all top universities require the GRE?
No. GRE policy is set at the department or program level, not university-wide, at nearly every research university. MIT, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Duke, and UT Austin all have some programs that require it and others that do not.
Which universities do not require the GRE for master’s or PhD programs?
Stanford Computer Science, Columbia Engineering, Cornell Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UC Berkeley Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Tech Materials Science and Engineering, and every Rackham PhD program at the University of Michigan are among the departments that do not require GRE scores, based on their official admissions pages.
Can I use the GMAT instead of the GRE at business schools?
At many schools, yes. Stanford GSB, Cornell’s Johnson School, Georgia Tech’s Scheller College, and UT Austin’s McCombs School all accept either exam. ETS reports that more than 1,300 business schools worldwide accept GRE scores for MBA admission.
How long is a GRE score valid?
Five years from your test date. Some universities, including Princeton from Fall 2026 admission onward, only count a score as valid if it has not expired by the date the application opens, so check this detail before you rely on an older score.
What is a good GRE score for a top university?
It depends heavily on the program. Cornell’s Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering PhD page states that successful applicants generally score above 160 quantitative and above 153 verbal, Johns Hopkins ECE lists a competitive band around 161 quantitative and 156 verbal, and Columbia Engineering reports average admitted quantitative scores near the 91st percentile. Most schools do not publish a fixed minimum.
How do I send my GRE score to a university?
Use ScoreSelect after your test to choose which scores to send, then enter the university’s official institution code, either during registration or afterward as an Additional Score Report through your ETS account.
Will a low GRE score disqualify my application?
Not automatically. GRE scores are one part of a holistic review alongside GPA, recommendations, research experience, and your statement of purpose.
When should I plan to take the GRE for a Fall 2027 intake?
Most graduate programs open applications for Fall 2027 admission around August through December 2026, with deadlines running from November 2026 through February 2027. Since scores can take several weeks to reach a university after your test, aim to test at least two to three months before your earliest deadline.
