GRE requirements · United States

Stanford University GRE requirements (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.

Updated 12 Jun 2026Last checked 12 Jun 20264 min read

About Stanford University

Stanford University is a private research university in California, known worldwide for its engineering and computer science programs and its Graduate School of Business.

GRE requirement by program

Stanford 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
Graduate School of Business (MBA)	Required Either the GMAT or the GRE is required, with no waiver path stated for the 2025-26 cycle.	gsb.stanford.edu	Jun 2026
School of Engineering (graduate) PhD and masters	Varies by program GRE policy is set per department within the School of Engineering, and several departments have listed the GRE as optional or not required in recent cycles. Confirm the requirement on the specific department's admissions page.	engineering.stanford.edu	Jun 2026
Computer Science (MS and PhD) PhD and masters	Unconfirmed for 2026 Stanford Computer Science has treated the GRE as not required in recent graduate admission cycles, consistent with the wider trend across CS programs. Verify the current policy on the department's admissions page before submitting scores.	cs.stanford.edu	Jun 2026
School of Humanities & Sciences (graduate) PhD and masters	Varies by program Across Humanities & Sciences departments, GRE policy is decided program by program, with some programs requiring the GRE and others making it optional. Check the entry for your specific program.	humsci.stanford.edu	Jun 2026
Graduate admissions (central test-score guidance) All departments	Varies by program Stanford's central graduate admissions page states that test requirements are set by each program and directs applicants to the department's own page. Use it as a starting point, then confirm the specific program.	gradadmissions.stanford.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 Stanford University?

There is no single Stanford 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 Stanford 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 Stanford Universitywith the GRE policies at other top programs. Each page is sourced from the university's own admissions pages and dated.

Yale University University of California, Berkeley Princeton University Columbia University in the City of New York Cornell University Carnegie Mellon 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. The MBA requires a GMAT or GRE score with no waiver, while many other graduate programs are optional or do not require it. Always confirm your specific program's own page.

No. Stanford GSB requires either the GMAT or the GRE for the MBA, and no waiver path was stated for the 2025-26 cycle.

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 Stanford 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.