GRE requirements · United States

Carnegie Mellon University GRE requirements (2026)

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.

Updated 12 Jun 2026Last checked 12 Jun 20264 min read

About Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh known internationally for its strengths in computer science, engineering, robotics, and business. It traces its roots to the Carnegie Technical Schools founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1900.

QS World University Ranking 2026: #52

GRE requirement by program

Carnegie Mellon University sets its GRE policy by program, so there is rarely a single university-wide answer. Below is each program we have checked, with its status, a link to the program's own admissions page, and the date we last confirmed it.

Program	Status	Official source	Last checked
School of Computer Science (graduate) PhD and masters	Varies by program The school states that each program sets its own policy on whether GRE scores are required and which test type is accepted.	cs.cmu.edu	Jun 2026
Computer Science Department (PhD) PhD	Optional GRE scores are optional and an application without GRE scores is not at a disadvantage, though the GRE at Home Test is not accepted.	csd.cmu.edu	Jun 2026
Electrical and Computer Engineering (graduate) PhD and masters	Optional The GRE is optional for the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 cycles, and applicants who do not submit scores are considered equally with those who do.	ece.cmu.edu	Jun 2026
Mechanical Engineering (graduate) PhD and masters	Not accepted The department states it is not accepting GRE scores for its graduate admission process.	meche.engineering.cmu.edu	Jun 2026
Tepper School of Business (Full-Time MBA) MBA	Required One of the GMAT, GMAT Focus, GRE, or Executive Assessment is required, though a test waiver is offered on a case-by-case basis.	cmu.edu	Jun 2026

Each status was read from the program's own admissions page (last checked 12 06 2026). Policies change between cycles; always confirm on the linked official page before you apply.

Not the program you need? The status is set department by department. Use the three-step check on the is the GRE required page to confirm any program in a couple of minutes.

What GRE score do you need for Carnegie Mellon University?

There is no single Carnegie Mellon University GRE cutoff, because programs admit on the whole application and most do not publish a hard minimum. In practice, aim for a score at or above the admitted-student median for your specific program, which some departments share in a class profile or on request. A percentile around the 80th or higher on the section that matters most to your field, Quant for STEM and economics or Verbal for the humanities, is a safe target wherever a score is worth submitting.

Where Carnegie Mellon University marks a program Optional, a score comfortably above that median can strengthen a borderline application, especially for funded or international applicants. Below it, your effort is usually better spent on the required parts of the file. Where a program is Not accepted, do not send a score, it will not be reviewed.

Unsure where you would land? Sit a free full-length mock and convert your scaled score to its exact official percentile before you decide.

GRE requirements at other universities

Compare Carnegie Mellon Universitywith the GRE policies at other top programs. Each page is sourced from the university's own admissions pages and dated.

Stanford University Yale University University of California, Berkeley Princeton University Columbia University in the City of New York Cornell University University of California, Los Angeles University of Michigan, Ann Arbor California Institute of Technology University of Chicago

Frequently asked questions

It depends on the program. Many CMU programs make the GRE optional (such as the Computer Science PhD and ECE graduate programs), some do not accept GRE scores at all (such as Mechanical Engineering), and the Tepper MBA requires a standardized test that can be waived case-by-case.

Yes. The Computer Science Department states GRE scores are optional and that an application without GRE scores is not at a disadvantage, although the GRE at Home Test is not accepted.

Yes. While most applicants submit a GMAT, GMAT Focus, GRE, or Executive Assessment score, Tepper offers a test waiver evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on demonstrated academic readiness.

ETS reports your GRE scores for five years from your test date, so a score you earn now stays usable across several application cycles. A program can set a shorter window, so confirm the cutoff on Carnegie Mellon University's admissions page before you apply. A free mock test shows where you would score today.

Every status here is read from the program's own admissions page and dated. Policies change between cycles, so always confirm on the linked official page before you apply. See our editorial standards for how we source and date claims.

GRE policy is set program by program, so two departments at the same university can differ. Use the three-step check on our is the GRE required guide to confirm any program in a couple of minutes.

If you can score at or above the program's admitted-student median, a strong score is a low-risk way to add a signal, especially for funded or international applicants. Below that, focus on the required parts. A free mock is the fastest way to see where you would land.