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What is a Good GRE Score in 2024? Discover Your Target Score 

 April 14, 2024

By  Chuky Ofoegbu

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) was developed by the Education Testing Service (ETS) over 70 years ago and is still used today by admissions and fellowship panels.

While there are certainly other factors considered for admission to graduate school, the GRE can often be used as an initial “filter” to categorize the applicants for a program.

This article will review some of the ETS data related to GRE scores from 2019-2022. We hope that this can help you understand what to aim for in your specific graduate program and better prepare for the test.

Interested in a GRE prep course? Check out our holistic review of the best GRE prep courses on the market in 2024.

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GRE Subject Tests

The ETS also offers various GRE subject tests. Currently, there are three GRE subject tests available:

  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology

GRE Score Range

Before we jump into the target scores for specific graduate programs, let’s cover the basics – what is the GRE score range, and what are the average GRE scores?

For those of you new to the GRE, there are three scored sections on the test – Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.

Your final score for the Quantitative Reasoning section, as well as the Verbal Reasoning section, is 130-170. On the other hand, the Analytical Writing score is reported on a scale of 0-6.

Average GRE Score – General Test

The chart below reports the number of test-takers, mean score, and standard deviation between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2022:

Test Section

Number of Test-takers

Mean Score

SD

Verbal Reasoning

1,185,163

150.94

8.48

Quantitative Reasoning

1,187,394

155.44

9.78

Analytical Writing

1,182,875

3.56

0.88

Source: https://www.ets.org/pdfs/gre/gre-guide-to-the-use-of-scores.pdf (ETS, 2023)

As seen in the table above, the average score for Quantitative Reasoning is slightly higher than that of Verbal Reasoning, though the standard deviation is also higher, meaning that there is also more variability in the scores.

For the Analytical Writing section, the average score is 3.56 out of 6. If nothing else, you can use these averages as general benchmarks for how all test-takers will perform.

GRE Subject Test Score Range

The ETS provides a good summary of the average scores for the GRE subject tests as well. The table below shows the number of test-takers, the mean GRE subject score, and the SD.

Subject Test

Number of Test Takers

Mean

SD

Mathematics

11,269

674

153

Physics

16,455

715

164

Psychology

8,049

620

110

Source: https://www.ets.org/pdfs/gre/gre-guide-to-the-use-of-scores.pdf (ETS, 2023)

Not every mathematics, physics, and psychology graduate program will require the GRE subject test, but it’s a good idea to take a look at your specific program’s requirements in advance.

Based on what the school lists as the acceptable score range and the averages listed by the ETS, you should be able to get an idea of where you stand.

GRE Scores for Different Graduate Programs

Based on our research, it seems that the overall averages do not provide as much insight as the score ranges for specific program information.

For this article, we will focus on four program areas: Psychology, Engineering, MBA, and Physician Assistants.

The following sections will focus on each area, with subsections for the general GRE test and the GRE subject tests when necessary.

What is a good GRE score for Psychology?

The ETS website has a page dedicated to the GRE for psychology majors.

While the page mostly focuses on career options for those with an advanced psychology degree, they also offer some insight into the typical program admission requirements.

For instance, they state that the majority of graduate programs in psychology require the GRE.

They also provide research related to how well the GRE general test scores predict psychology student performance.

For instance, one study from November 2005 showed that students in the top GRE quartile were more likely to earn grades in the top quartile.

When looking specifically at Experimental Psychology and Clinical Psychology, this pattern becomes more apparent.

The ETS website also lists the distribution of scores on the GRE for those pursuing a degree in psychology.

The percentage of test-takers who scored in each of the ranges for the Quantitative Reasoning section and Verbal Reasoning section is displayed below in the grouped bar chart.

Psychology GRE General Score Distribution 2024

Psychology GRE General Score Distribution 2019-2022 (Image Credit: Sojourning Scholar)

As shown in the graph, the distribution for QR for Psychology majors is slightly lower than the VR, which is strange because, on the other page, the ETS reports a higher score on average for the QR section (all majors).

Specifically, the table below displayed the data:

Test Section

Number of Test-takers

Mean Score

SD

Verbal Reasoning

45,978

152


Quantitative Reasoning

45,987

149

8

Analytical Writing

45,952

3.9

0.8

This demonstrates that Psychology majors typically need to perform higher on the VR section to be competitive applicants.

In addition, the mean score for Analytical Writing is higher than the overall average, suggesting that Psychology students should focus on their writing skills before taking the GRE.

Furthermore, test-takers can visit the ETS General Test Interpretive Data by Graduate Major Field page to see a more detailed breakdown for different subfield of psychology.

Regarding the GRE Psychology Subject Test, as of September 2023, your final score will consist of one total score as well as six subscores for the following areas:

  • Biological
  • Cognitive
  • Social
  • Developmental
  • Clinical
  • Measurement/Methodology/Other

Since we haven’t looked at the scoring for the GRE subject tests yet, we’d like to point out that ETS provides a scoring guide for the GRE subject tests.

The Psychology subject test gives you a total score between 200 and 990 in 10-point increments. In addition, each subscore yields a 20-99 score scale in one-point increments.

Overall, it is recommended that students pursuing a graduate-level degree in psychology should take the GRE to be more competitive applicants, and the subject test can also help set them apart from other students in the field.

What is a good GRE score for Engineering?

The ETS website has a page dedicated to the GRE for engineering majors.

Like the psychology page, this page mostly focuses on career options for those with an advanced engineering degree, but one interesting feature is the emphasis on business school for engineers and the note that thousands of graduate and business schools accept the GRE.

In addition, the ETS website provides the distribution of scores on the GRE for those pursuing a degree in Engineering.

The percentage of test-takers who scored in each range for Quantitative Reasoning section and Verbal Reasoning section is displayed below in the grouped bar chart.

Engineering GRE General Score Distribution 2024

Engineering GRE General Score Distribution 2019-2022 (Image Credit: Sojourning Scholar)

As shown in the graph, the distribution for QR for Engineering majors is significantly higher than the VR, which makes sense given the emphasis on mathematics for engineering programs.

Specifically, the table below displayed the data:

Test Section

Number of Test-takers

Mean Score

SD

Verbal Reasoning

89,947

151

9

Quantitative Reasoning

90,224

160

7

Analytical Writing

89,814

3.5

0.9

This demonstrates that Engineering majors typically need to perform much higher on the QR section to be competitive applicants.

Test-takers can also visit the ETS General Test Interpretive Data by Graduate Major Field page to see a more detailed breakdown for different areas of engineering.

The chart below looks at the seven areas of engineering that ETS collected data on.

Engineering GRE General Scores by Majors

Engineering GRE General Scores by Majors 2019-2022 (Image Credit: Sojourning Scholar)

As you can see, the materials engineering and electrical engineering test-takers performed best in QR and the “other” category did best on VR.

In addition, the data for the analytical writing section suggested that Civil and Electrical engineering students performed the lowest and the “other” category performed the highest (3.3 vs. 3.9 mean score).

Since there is a decent amount of variance in the engineering scores, it is best to look at the specific major when you plan to prep for the GRE so you know what the average score is for applicants like yourself.

What is a good GRE score for MBA?

The ETS also has a page dedicated to information about business programs and pursuing an MBA. While many business schools accept the GMAT, they also typically accept the GRE general test.

ETS provides a list of all the MBA programs that accept the GRE. It’s important to understand how other business students perform on the GRE so that you know what score to aim for on test day.

Therefore, it’s helpful to look at the ETS data from 2019-2022 for test-takers majoring in business. The chart below is a good summary of the data.

Business GRE General Score Distribution 2019-2022

Business GRE General Score Distribution 2019-2022 (Image Credit: Sojourning Scholar)

We found this data interesting because, for the QR section, the distribution is very different from the norm.

Instead of having most of the scores in the middle and fewer on the ends, it looks like more business test-takers are scoring high on QR. This is also seen in the score summary table below:

Test Section

Number of Test-takers

Mean Score

SD

Verbal Reasoning

69,740

152

8

Quantitative Reasoning

69,834

158

9

Analytical Writing

69,505

3.7

0.8

The table shows that if you want to go to graduate school for business, you usually need to score higher on the QR section.

However, business includes a lot of subfields, so we thought it was important to also show the data from some of those majors.

Business GRE General Scores by Major 2019-2022

Business GRE General Scores by Major 2019-2022 (Image Credit: Sojourning Scholar)

As you can see, the Banking and Finance test-takers have higher QR scores compared to the others.

Business majors that fall into the ‘Business Admin and Management’ category tend to perform the best on VR.

Overall, we recommend looking at the average scores for all business test-takers and then if you are specializing in one of the areas above, focus on those target scores.

What is a good GRE score for PA school?

ETS doesn’t provide a lot of information for students trying to go to Physician Assistant (PA) school.

This might be because a lot of PA schools require the Physician Assistant School Admission Exam (PA-CAT). However, some schools still require the GRE.

If you’re applying to one of those universities, it’s good to know how you stack up against the other applicants. Luckily, ETS includes data for PA schools under the health and medical sciences section of their GRE score table.

PA General Score Distribution

PA General Score Distribution 2019-2022 (Image Credit: Sojourning Scholar)

It looks like the average PA student scores about the same on the QR and VR sections based on the shape of the curves. We can also look at the summary stats for this program below:

Test Section

Number of Test-takers

Mean Score

SD

Verbal Reasoning

133,098

150

7

Quantitative Reasoning

133,137

149

7

Analytical Writing

132,907

3.8

0.7

The table supports our theory that PA students score right around the middle for both QR and VR sections.

For Analytical Writing, they score slightly above the average for all students.

If you’re applying for PA school and they accept the GRE, you want to aim for at least 150 on the VR and QR to be a competitive applicant.

You’ll also want to focus on your writing skills to perform above average in that section.

Final Thoughts

Not all graduate schools require the GRE. Even though the test can be intimidating, it’s a good idea to take it if you think one of your target schools will require it.

Your GRE score can set you apart from other applicants, especially if you look at the data and prepare. Based on everything we’ve covered, I’m sure you can see there isn’t just one “good GRE score”.

It depends on the program you’re applying to. Hopefully, if you’re looking at a Psychology, Engineering, MBA, or PA program, you’ve found this information helpful for your GRE prep. 

Are you looking for GRE prep resources that can help your crush the GRE exam, check our in-depth review of the best GRE prep courses of 2024!

Grab Our Free Guide - Roadmap to Studying in the USA

Everything you must know as a prospective international student, from choosing your school to your first day of classes!

Chuky Ofoegbu


Chuky Ofoegbu is a thought leader and founder of Sojourning Scholar, a platform that empowers international students with the tools and knowledge for success in U.S. higher education.


With extensive experience and a profound understanding of the academic landscape, his insights shape the future of student advising. He has been quoted in major publications including Forbes, US News & World Report, CNN, Yahoo, and MSN.


He holds degrees in Engineering from The Ohio State University and The University of Texas at Austin. For a deeper dive into his influential work and strategies, visit the About Page.

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