Pennsylvania State University GRE requirements (2026)
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.
About Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University is a large public research university whose main campus is at University Park. Its graduate programs are administered through the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School, which leaves GRE policy to each individual program.
GRE requirement by program
Pennsylvania State 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Fox Graduate School (university-wide policy) PhD and masters | Varies by program Penn State sets no university-wide GRE requirement. The Graduate School directs all questions about the GRE to your intended program, so each program decides whether scores are required, optional, or not considered. | gradschool.psu.edu | Jun 2026 |
Materials Science and Engineering MS and PhD | Optional The department states GRE scores are optional and not required for admission. | matse.psu.edu | Jun 2026 |
Curriculum and Instruction (College of Education) MA, MEd, and PhD | Not accepted The program states the GRE and MAT are not required, and that submitted scores are neither reviewed nor considered during the admission process. | ed.psu.edu | Jun 2026 |
Biobehavioral Health (College of Health and Human Development) PhD | Optional The GRE is optional; the program states that applicants who do not submit GRE scores will not be at a disadvantage for admission. | hhd.psu.edu | Jun 2026 |
Energy and Mineral Engineering MS and PhD | Optional GRE scores are recommended but not required. Applicants are encouraged to provide any GRE scores from the last 5 years if available. | eme.psu.edu | Jun 2026 |
Agricultural and Biological Engineering MS and PhD | Required The department requires applicants to take the GRE General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing). | abe.psu.edu | Jun 2026 |
Each status was read from the program's own admissions page (last checked 22 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 Pennsylvania State University?
There is no single Pennsylvania State 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 Pennsylvania State 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 Pennsylvania State Universitywith the GRE policies at other top programs. Each page is sourced from the university's own admissions pages and dated.