Yale University GRE requirements (2026)
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.
About Yale University
Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Its Graduate School of Arts and Sciences publishes a per-program standardized-testing table that it dates each cycle.
GRE requirement by program
Yale 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 Arts & Sciences (per-program table) PhD and masters | Varies by program Yale GSAS publishes a single per-program table marking each program Required, Optional, or Not accepted, and dates it each cycle. The version we checked was marked 25 Sep 2025 for the 2025-26 cycle. Check your program's row. | gsas.yale.edu | Jun 2026 |
Department of Economics (PhD) PhD | Required Economics is among the Yale GSAS programs that have required the GRE in recent cycles, in line with many top economics PhD programs that weigh the quantitative score. Confirm the current status on the GSAS testing table and the department page. | economics.yale.edu | Jun 2026 |
School of Management (MBA) MBA | Optional Yale SOM accepts either the GMAT or the GRE for the MBA and states no preference between the two tests. Confirm score-submission details and any waiver options on the Yale SOM admissions page for the current cycle. | som.yale.edu | Jun 2026 |
School of Engineering & Applied Science (graduate) PhD and masters | Varies by program SEAS graduate programs are admitted through Yale GSAS, and GRE policy follows the per-program table. Several engineering programs have listed the GRE as optional or not required in recent cycles. Confirm on the GSAS table for your program. | seas.yale.edu | Jun 2026 |
Department of Computer Science (PhD) PhD | Unconfirmed for 2026 Yale Computer Science admits through GSAS and has treated the GRE as optional or not required in recent cycles, consistent with the wider trend across CS PhD programs. Verify the current row on the GSAS testing table before submitting scores. | cpsc.yale.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 Yale University?
There is no single Yale 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 Yale 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 Yale Universitywith the GRE policies at other top programs. Each page is sourced from the university's own admissions pages and dated.