GRE Score Range: What are the GRE scores?

GRE scores range from 130 to 170 per section. The GRE max score is 340 (combined scores range from 260-340). Another important fact when considering “good” scores: The average GRE score is about 305, or 150 in Verbal and around 154 in Quant. But the GRE exam score range for different graduate schools, and even different programs at the same school, varies widely. All in all, several factors will affect what good GRE scores are for you.

Determining what a good score is for you will take some time and research. But if you can identify your target score early in your GRE prep, you’ll be more likely to hit that target since you can focus your study plan on the aspects of the test that are most difficult for you. It’s well worth it!

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the factors that make a good GRE score—and see how you can maximize your score in the process.

Table of Contents

What is the GRE score range (Quant, Verbal, Combined)?

The GRE score range runs from 260 to 340. The table below shows the Verbal, Quantitative, and combined scores:

Minimum Maximum Verbal 130 170 Quantitative 130 170 Combined 260 340

It can definitely be confusing to contextualize your scores, especially because comparing Verbal scores to Quant scores can feel like comparing apples to oranges. So let’s take a look at sectional scores and break it down a little more.

GRE In-Section Scores

Because it’s so important, here it is one more time:

Perfect GRE scores are 170 in each section, 340 combined.

Keep in mind that, depending on your program, your scores in one section may be weighted much more strongly in admissions. Potential English Lit MAs don’t have to worry about Quant quite as much as potential Engineering PhDs. However, scoring high in both sections is a definite plus.

For more about the importance of in-section scores by program, check out our following posts:

Understanding GRE Percentiles

In short, a percentile describes the percentage of test-takers who scored lower than you. If you scored in the 75th percentile, for example, that means that you scored better than 75 out of every 100 GRE test-takers.

You can check out our run-down of GRE percentiles here, but here are some salient points for take-away:

You can’t score higher than the 96th percentile in Quant: about 4% of students taking the exam get a perfect score in this section.

The same thing isn’t true for Verbal, where only 1% of students get a perfect score (so guess which section most test-takers consider harder?).

The top 10% of test-takers score 162+ in Verbal and 167+ in Quant.

The bottom 10% of test-takers score below 139 in Verbal and 141 in Quant.



In terms of percentiles, most people would consider scoring within the top 10% of all test-takers pretty good!

But, at the end of the day, a good GRE score is the one that helps you get into the program of your dreams. And for the top programs in different fields, that can be pretty high…





What is the GRE score range by program?



A good score on the GRE varies significantly by program. For instance, applicants admitted to the top 10 Computer Science programs in 2020/2021 had an average GRE Quant score of 166. That score is at the 89th percentile on the GRE.

However, applicants admitted to the top 10 English programs had an average GRE Quant score of 157, in the 64th percentile on the new GRE. That’s a quite a difference!





What is the average GRE score?

The average Verbal score is 150, and the average Quant score is around 154. The AWA average is 3.6.

(To be precise, the average GRE scores are 150.23 and 153.7, but since those are impossible scores for an individual to get, we’ve rounded down and up, respectively.)

A lot of students aim for the skies and think of their goals in terms of a perfect score—a 170. But the reality is that many of us don’t need to attain such a lofty score. If you’re still wondering how to evaluate your scores in terms of the general pool of test-takers, looking at average GRE scores can help. How? By providing a bigger picture of everyone taking the test and showing you where that middle point is.

Average GRE Test Scores by Intended Graduate Major Field

As you’re applying to graduate programs, the average score of all test takers is irrelevant. For you, the average GRE score for your particular program at your target school is much more important—this is the score you need to exceed.

The table below provides a helpful baseline, but note that these are average scores for all schools. To find the competitive GRE scores you need, I highly recommend doing research for the specific colleges and universities that you are targeting.

Intended Graduate Major Field Average Verbal Score Average Quant Score Business 150 154 Education 150 147 Engineering 149 160 Humanities and Arts 156 150 Life Sciences 151 151 Physical Sciences 150 160 Social and Behavioral Sciences 153 152 Other Fields 151 150 Undecided 148 154 No Major Provided (or not listed) 149 150





What is a good GRE score for grad school?

Of course, which school you’re applying to will also have a lot to do with your target GRE score.

Students admitted to the most competitive program at Harvard—Economics— had estimated Verbal scores of 163-167 and estimated Quant scores of 166-170 (so you see, discipline does make a difference to the relative weight adcoms give to each section!).

But on the other hand, less competitive programs at Harvard admitted students with Quant and Verbal scores as low as 155-159. Again, it all depends on the program, as well as the school (for more on this, you can check out our post on GRE Scores for Top Universities).

How do I find out how my target schools use the GRE?

Are you aiming for a top 10 school or a top 50 school in your program? Do you have a specific dream school? By answering these questions, you can better determine what type of score you’ll need on the new GRE.

As we’ve seen, what’s a good GRE score can vary from school to school. So how do you figure out how your schools use the GRE, especially if they’re not on the above list?

Find your schools’ stats

Start by looking up the stats for the programs you’ll be applying to. The US News & World Report has reliable data that you can use to ground yourself in the basics. But the best thing to do for the whole story?

Talk to current students and the admissions committee

Some schools care more about Quant and others care more about Verbal. So how can you tell?

Find out which a target program/school is interested in by talking to the admissions committee and current students.

Go to their website and find a contact to email. Let them know you are a prospective student and provide some background about yourself.

In many cases, schools will try to connect you with a current student who has a similar background to you. They can give you a better idea of the types of students that the program is looking for (GRE scores, educational background, work experience, future goals, etc.).

Use that opportunity to learn about the admissions process and the program as a whole.





What’s a good GRE score for me?

I can’t say it enough: “good” scores depend on your particular target school and program. But if you’re going to push me for an answer…

In very general terms, above the 75th percentile in either section is good. That’s about a 161 or higher in Quant and a 157 or higher in Verbal. To get about 160+ on each section, you can miss a little over a dozen questions in Verbal and about 8-9 in Quant (which is curved a little harder). So there is a little room for error.

These scores are at least one standard deviation from the mean. And scores two standard deviations from the mean put you near the top 5%, 168 in Quant and 164 in Verbal, at which point your GRE score will certainly not be an impediment.

There are two main reasons to aim for above the 75th percentile:

First, you want to give yourself some wiggle room in case you can’t quite reach your goal score. If you fall a bit short, then you can decide whether or not it’s worth retaking the GRE. Admitted students with below-average GRE scores usually have an incredible application to make up for this deficit – impressive work/research experience, a compelling story, a strong college GPA, etc. Always consider your application as a whole when determining whether your GRE score is good enough.

Second, you want to improve your odds of acceptance by impressing the admissions committee with a higher-than-expected GRE score. If the average Math score for your program is 153, and you score a 158, then you automatically have a leg up on the competition. Admissions committees like to see that students can excel at standardized tests, in addition to having excellent, well-rounded applications.

Keep in mind that a good GRE score can also increase your chances of getting scholarships, both university and private, along with research funding. Learn more in our post on how to use your GRE score to get scholarships.





What’s a bad GRE score?

A bad GRE score is one that excludes you from the program that you want to attend. That’s all!

However, to put this in very general terms, the bottom 10% of test-takers score below 139 in Verbal and 141 in Quant.

Again—very generally!—a good goal is to score better than average on the GRE.

Can you get into your dream program with a below-average score? Sure.

But the admitted students who perform below average on the GRE may have extraordinary stories, great GPAs, and/or fantastic work experience. To improve your odds of acceptance, do better than average.

On the other hand, there’s no need to overdo it. If you are aiming for a program that has an average Quant score of 155, and you score 160, you likely don’t need to take the GRE again, even if you think you could get 165. You have already demonstrated that you have quantitative aptitude; now, it’s time to focus on the rest of your application.

What should I do if I don’t have a good score?

No matter what the case, don’t despair! If you have taken the test and were, say, a 145 scorer in both sections (that works out to the 25th percentile in Verbal and the 19th percentile in Quant) then your road to improvement is pretty steep, but very doable.

That might sound counterintuitive. Why would a steep increase in percentages make something more doable?

Well, imagine you had to go from an 80% to a 99%, which is the same percentage difference as that between a 39% and a 20%. That’s going from better than most to the best of the best.

That is really hard to do.

If you’ve scored in the 80th percentile, you have most likely already been preparing for the GRE. On the other hand, many of those who initially score low went in cold (or at least lukewarm).

By prepping hard for a month or two, you should be able to jump from the lowly 20s to the respectable 37th percentile: a mere five points, but you never know! It could be the difference between getting into a program and not getting into a program.





How do I increase my GRE score?

With all of those factors in mind, it’s time to set your target score (or rather, target scores—one for each section). Why? It’ll help you enormously as you go forward in your prep.

The GRE is a tough exam that’s meant to separate strong applicants from the rest of the pack. Succeeding on the GRE is a matter of determining what score you need in order to make sure that your application is noticed and considered by your target programs.

Prep for the GRE with Your Target Score in Mind

You’ve already taken the first step to reaching your target score by reading through this post. By researching GRE scores ahead of time, you can determine what areas to focus on for your GRE prep before your next GRE exam date. For instance, if your program is more interested in Quant, then spend more time working on Quant. As your exam date gets closer, make sure you plan when and where to send your GRE score reports as well.

For more on the GRE, check out these resources: