GRE Score Requirements for Engineering Programs 2025
Thinking about applying to an engineering graduate school? Your GRE score is a critical part of your application. Many engineering students like you wonder what constitutes a “good” GRE score they need to make their applications shine. While it’s not the sole factor determining your acceptance, a good GRE score can significantly enhance your application and open doors to scholarships and funding opportunities.
In this blog, we’ll break down the average GRE scores for engineering programs, how those scores vary across different schools and specialisations, and what you can do to make your application stand out.
Average GRE Scores for Engineering Programs
The average GRE score for the Verbal Reasoning section is 151, indicating a moderate level of performance. However, the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE demands a higher level of proficiency, with an average score of 160.
This average quantitative score of 160 places prospective engineering students in the 61st percentile among all GRE test takers. It signifies that while meeting the average is important, excelling beyond it can be advantageous in the competition of engineering programs.
Average GRE Quant Scores for Engineering Programs at the Top 50 Universities
The following table presents the average GRE Quantitative Reasoning scores for engineering programs at the top 50 universities.
Average Quant GRE Score
University of California – Berkeley
University of Texas–Austin
University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
University of California–San Diego
Texas A&M University
University of California – Los Angeles
University of Colorado–Boulder
North Carolina State University
University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of California – Irvine
University of California–Davis
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Tennessee–Knoxville
Average GRE Verbal Scores for Engineering Programs at the Top Universities
An average verbal score is typically around the 50th percentile. This translates to a score of 152, which is usually sufficient for many good engineering programs. However, if your sights are set on a top 20 school, you might need to aim higher, perhaps for the 70th percentile or better. Additionally, the GRE verbal score requirement for admission to most engineering schools is usually available on the individual school pages of U.S. News & World.
While the GRE verbal score is a factor, it’s often not a significant one compared to the quantitative section. An average GRE quantitative score can significantly hinder your application, but an average verbal score generally won’t. This means that an average verbal score puts you in the middle of the applicant pool, while an average quantitative score might put you at a disadvantage.
While this information is a general guide, it’s always recommended to research the specific requirements of your intended schools. The weight given to verbal scores can vary. For some, a 75th percentile score might give you an edge, while others might solely focus on the GRE quantitative section. Although this lack of transparency can be frustrating, remember that an average verbal score is unlikely to be a major obstacle to your application.
Read also: GRE Score Range
Average GRE Scores by Engineering Programs
The following table details the average GRE Quant scores for engineering programs.
Average GRE Quant Score
https://prep.yocket.com/gre/gre-scores-for-engineering-programs
