Harvard University GRE requirements (2026)
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.
About Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 1636. Its graduate and professional education is spread across the Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and a set of independent professional schools, including Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Harvard Medical School. Because each school and program sets its own admissions rules, GRE policy at Harvard is decided program by program rather than centrally.
GRE requirement by program
Harvard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Griffin Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (most PhD & master's programs) PhD and Masters | Varies by program Griffin GSAS lets each program list one of Required, Optional, or Not accepted for the GRE, and it maintains a per-program testing table. There is no single GSAS-wide answer, so check the entry for your specific program. | gsas.harvard.edu | Jul 2026 |
Harvard Business School (MBA) MBA | Optional HBS accepts either the GMAT or the GRE for the MBA and states there is no minimum score or preference between the two tests. Applicants may also be eligible for a test waiver in some cases. Confirm the current cycle's policy on the HBS admissions page. | hbs.edu | Jul 2026 |
Harvard Law School (JD) JD | Optional Harvard Law accepts either the LSAT or the GRE for JD applicants and states no preference between the two. Applicants who submit the GRE should report all scores from the relevant period. Confirm the current requirement on the HLS J.D. application page. | hls.harvard.edu | Jul 2026 |
Harvard Kennedy School (MPP, MPA, MPA/ID) Masters | Varies by program HKS policy is set per degree and has changed across recent cycles, with some programs accepting the GRE or GMAT and offering waivers. Check the requirements for the specific HKS degree program on its admissions page for the current cycle. | hks.harvard.edu | Jul 2026 |
Harvard Graduate School of Education (Ed.M.) Masters | Unconfirmed for 2026 HGSE has not required the GRE for its Ed.M. programs in recent cycles, and its doctoral programs run through Griffin GSAS. Because the master's testing policy is reviewed each cycle, confirm the current requirement on the HGSE admissions page before applying. | gse.harvard.edu | Jul 2026 |
Harvard Medical School (research PhD, MD-PhD) PhD | Unconfirmed for 2026 Research doctoral training at HMS is largely administered through Griffin GSAS programs such as the Division of Medical Sciences, where GRE policy is set per program and most life-sciences PhDs nationally have made the GRE optional or dropped it. Confirm on the specific program page. | gsas.harvard.edu | Jul 2026 |
School of Engineering & Applied Sciences (SEAS graduate) PhD and Masters | Varies by program SEAS graduate programs are admitted through Griffin GSAS, and GRE policy is set per program within the per-program GSAS testing table. Several SEAS programs have listed the GRE as optional or not required in recent cycles. Confirm on the program's GSAS entry. | seas.harvard.edu | Jul 2026 |
Each status was read from the program's own admissions page (last checked 02 07 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 Harvard University?
There is no single Harvard 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 Harvard 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 Harvard Universitywith the GRE policies at other top programs. Each page is sourced from the university's own admissions pages and dated.