GRE requirements by university (2026)

GRE policy at Stanford is set program by program. Its MBA requires a GMAT or GRE score with no waiver; many graduate programs are optional or do not require the GRE.

Yale GSAS publishes a per-program table (Required / Optional / Not accepted) and dates it. Several programs require the GRE, including Economics, Chemistry, and Political Science.

GRE policy at Berkeley is set department by department: most graduate programs no longer require it, some have stopped accepting it entirely, and a small number still require or accept it.

GRE policy at Princeton is set department by department, ranging from required to not accepted, with many programs in engineering and the sciences no longer requiring or accepting scores.

GRE policy at Columbia varies sharply by school: Engineering and most Computer Science programs make the GRE optional, the Business School requires a GMAT, Executive Assessment, or GRE with no exemption, and individual GSAS departments set their own rules ranging from required to not required.

GRE policy at Cornell is set by each individual graduate field and program, so requirements range from required to not accepted depending on where you apply.

GRE policy varies widely by program at CMU, with some departments making it optional, others not accepting scores at all, and the Tepper MBA requiring a test that can be waived.

GRE policy at UCLA is set by each program, so it ranges from not required (Computer Science, ECE) to required (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) to optional (Anderson MBA).

GRE policy varies widely by program: Rackham doctoral programs no longer include the GRE, many engineering departments have made it optional or do not consider it, and some master's programs still require it.

Caltech sets GRE policy option by option, so there is no single institute-wide rule; some divisions require it, several treat it as optional, and applicants must check their specific option's page.

GRE policy varies widely by program: it is optional for Computer Science and the Physical Sciences Division, not accepted at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and a GMAT or GRE score is required for the Booth MBA except for UChicago affiliates.

GRE policy at NYU varies widely by school and program: the Tandon engineering programs are GRE-optional, the Graduate School of Arts and Science leaves it to each department, and Stern requires a standardized test for the full-time MBA with waivers available.

GRE policy varies by school at Penn: Engineering makes it optional, the Wharton MBA requires the GRE or GMAT, and Arts and Sciences requirements differ by individual program.

GRE policy varies widely by program at Georgia Tech: several engineering schools have dropped the GRE and the Scheller MBA is test-optional, while the regular MS in Computer Science still requires it.

GRE policy at Johns Hopkins is set program by program. Several flagship areas have moved away from the GRE entirely, with Computer Science treating it as optional and biomedical PhD programs such as BCMB declining to consider scores, while a handful of other programs still ask for them.

Northwestern's GRE landscape is split: The Graduate School says departments decide, and the result ranges from Economics, which requires the GRE, to Computer Science and History, which do not require it (and in CS do not even consider master's scores).

Brown's Graduate School allows every program to choose whether to require the GRE. In practice most doctoral programs (Computer Science, Engineering, English) have made it optional or dropped it, while a few School of Public Health PhD programs still require it and Physics keeps a subject-test requirement.

Dartmouth sets GRE policy per program. Engineering (Thayer) and Mathematics treat the GRE as optional, while the Computer Science program does not accept GRE scores at all, so there is no single college-wide rule.

GRE policy at UC San Diego is set per department, so it varies widely. Several high-demand programs (Computer Science, the Rady business school, and the General GRE in Physics) have dropped the requirement, while others such as Economics still require scores.

USC sets GRE policy by program. The Viterbi School does not require (and will not review) the GRE for master's applicants and waives it for most engineering PhDs, while the Marshall MBA and the Dornsife Economics PhD still require a GMAT or GRE, and the Rossier PhD in Education neither requires nor accepts scores.

UT Austin leaves GRE policy to each program. The Graduate School notes most programs require the GRE or GMAT, but many high-demand departments have made it optional or waived it — Computer Science is GRE-optional, while the McCombs MBA and some specialized programs such as Energy and Earth Resources still require a test score.

The UW Graduate School itself does not require the GRE, leaving the decision to each program. In practice many high-demand programs have dropped it: the Allen School (CSE) PhD will not even consider scores, Epidemiology has permanently eliminated the requirement, and Computer Information Science and the Foster MBA are GRE/test-optional.

There is no single university-wide GRE rule at Illinois; each program sets its own policy. Several high-demand programs such as Computer Science and Civil & Environmental Engineering have made the GRE optional, while quantitative PhD programs like Economics still require it.

The UW–Madison Graduate School does not require the GRE, but individual programs may. Many high-demand programs such as Computer Sciences have dropped the requirement entirely, while quantitative PhD programs like Economics and Agricultural & Applied Economics still require scores.

Purdue's central graduate office does not require the GRE, but many programs do. Policies vary sharply by department: Computer Science does not require the GRE, several engineering programs make it optional, and quantitative programs such as Industrial Engineering and Agricultural Economics still require it.

Vanderbilt sets GRE policy at the program level, and its Graduate School publishes a per-program requirement table listing required, optional, and exempt statuses. The School of Engineering is not requiring the GRE for 2026-2027, while quantitative PhD programs such as Economics and Biostatistics still require scores.

Rice generally is not requiring the GRE for 2026 admissions, but individual degree programs may recommend, strongly recommend, or require it. As a result, policies range from required (Economics PhD, CMOR PhD) to optional or recommended (Statistics, ECE), so applicants must check their specific program.

Georgetown does not require the GRE universally; the Graduate School states that some programs require standardized exams while many do not. In practice several high-demand programs (Computer Science, the Government PhD, biomedical PhDs) do not require the GRE, while professional schools such as McCourt and McDonough require a test with waivers available.

UNC's Graduate School does not require the GRE centrally; individual programs decide, and many have waived or dropped it. In practice the Gillings MPH does not require it and Computer Science recommends but does not require it, while the Economics PhD and Kenan-Flagler PhD still require a standardized test.

Ohio State's Graduate School does not require the GRE; the requirement is set program by program. Some programs require it (such as Statistics), some require a score only if your GPA is below 3.0, and many have dropped it since 2020.

Penn State sets no university-wide GRE requirement; each program decides. Most programs have made the GRE optional, some do not review submitted scores at all, and a few still require it.

GRE policy at Washington University in St. Louis is set school by school and program by program, so it varies widely. The Olin MBA and many Arts & Sciences and McKelvey Engineering graduate programs have made the GRE optional, while specific PhD programs may still require or recommend it. Applicants must check the policy of the specific program they are applying to.

GRE policy at Emory is set by individual programs through the Laney Graduate School and the professional schools, so it varies widely. The Rollins School of Public Health and several Laney PhD programs have moved away from the GRE, while specific science PhDs may still require or recommend it.

GRE policy at Notre Dame is set program by program through the Graduate School and the professional schools, so it varies widely. The Mendoza MBA accepts the GMAT, GMAT Focus Edition, or GRE, while many Arts & Letters and Engineering graduate programs have made the GRE optional or removed it.

There is no single Harvard-wide GRE rule. The Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences lets each PhD and master's program choose Required, Optional, or Not accepted, and the professional schools set their own policies: Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School accept the GRE as one option, while the Kennedy School and Graduate School of Education set requirements program by program. Always confirm the policy on the specific program's own admissions page.

MIT sets GRE policy department by department. The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) does not use the GRE at all for its main graduate admissions, which makes it the clearest example of a top program that has fully dropped the test. Other departments range from not requiring to still recommending scores, and MIT Sloan accepts either the GMAT or the GRE for the MBA. Check the specific department or program page before applying.

At Duke, The Graduate School lets each program decide whether the GRE is required or optional, and it publishes that split centrally. A smaller set of programs require the GRE while many list it as optional. One important detail: Duke states that once a self-reported optional score is submitted, it becomes a required part of the application and cannot be withdrawn. Professional programs such as the Fuqua MBA accept the GMAT or the GRE. Always confirm the policy for your specific program.