Average GMAT Score and Scores for Top MBA Programs
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The national average GMAT score has increased considerably in the past five years, rising from 616 in 2018 to a record 660 in 2022, a 44-point jump.[1]- In 2022, 73.8% of GMAT scores were sent to MBA programs, 21.5% to business master’s programs, and 4.7% to others.Note Reference [1]
- To score over a 700 on the GMAT, you must be in the top 14% of test takers.
- Although most schools state no preference, the majority of accepted applicants at the most selective business schools take the GMAT over the GRE.
- Even though most of the sections on the GMAT are the same as on the GRE, the GMAT has a more challenging quantitative section with harder math questions.
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized exam used by over 6,000 institutions to evaluate test takers’ readiness for graduate schools in business. This includes master of business administration (MBA) programs, business master’s, and others.
Most schools accept GMAT and Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. Competitive test scores could increase your chances of admission to graduate school and likelihood of receiving scholarships and job opportunities.
Keep reading to learn more about average GMAT scores, score percentiles, and whether the GMAT or GRE is best for you.
Table of Contents
Average GMAT Score in the U.S.
The average GMAT score in the U.S. has increased considerably in the past five years, jumping by 44 points:Note Reference [1]
- In 2022, the national average score was a record 660.1 In 2018, it was 616.
- In 2022, 73.8% of students sent their GMAT scores to MBA programs, 21.5% to business master’s programs, and 4.7% to others.
- From 2018-2022, applicants averaged 25-26 years old.
| Year | Score |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 616 |
| 2019 | 616 |
| 2020 | 627 |
| 2021 | 658 |
| 2022 | 660 |
Did You Know…
The GMAT is scored in 10-point increments, meaning you can’t score a 627 or 658, for example. Instead, your score might be 630 or 660.
Top MBA programs have average GMAT scores above the national average of 660. To score over a 700 on the GMAT, you must be in the top 13% of test takers. A score of 750 means you are in the top 2%, or have outperformed 98% of test takers.
| Score | Percentile Ranking |
|---|---|
| 800 | 99 |
| 750 | 98 |
| 700 | 86 |
| 650 | 68 |
| 600 | 47 |
| 550 | 31 |
| 500 | 20 |
| 450 | 12 |
| 400 | 7 |
| 350 | 4 |
| 300 | 2 |
| 250 | 1 |
| 200 | 0 |
Did You Know…
Many popular online MBA programs waive the GMAT or GRE requirement, especially for prospective students with extensive work experience.
Average GMAT Scores by School
If you’re considering an MBA program, you might want to compare your GMAT score to the institution’s average. The average scores at more competitive schools are often higher than the national average.
Average GMAT Scores for Top MBA Programs
The most selective schools in the country have average GMAT scores above the 90th percentile. It is worth noting, however, that these are just the averages, and plenty of applicants score below or above the average for each school.
| School | Average GMAT Score |
|---|---|
| Stanford University | 738 |
| New York University (Stern) | 732 |
| University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) | 728 |
| Harvard University | 500-790 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) | 729 |
| Columbia University | 729 |
| Northwestern University (Kellogg) | 731 |
| University of California, Berkeley (Haas) | 733 |
| University of Chicago (Booth) | 728 |
| Dartmouth University (Tuck) | 726 |
| Yale University (School of Management) | 720 |
| University of Virginia (Darden) | 716 |
Average GMAT Scores for Other Popular MBA Programs
Other popular MBA programs also require applicants to earn competitive scores. The table below shows the average scores for each school.
| School | Average GMAT Score |
|---|---|
| Cornell University (SC Johnson) | 710 |
| Rice University (Jones) | 702 |
| Emory University (Goizueta) | 709 |
| Georgetown University (McDonough) | 695 |
| Duke University (Fuqua) | 670-760 (the middle 80% of accepted applicants score in this range) |
How Many People Take the GMAT?
In 2022, there were around 55,000 unique GMAT test takers. The number of tests taken has decreased considerably in the past five years:Note Reference [1]
- Globally, there were nearly 120,000 fewer test taken in 2022 than in 2018.
- In the U.S., the number of tests taken has decreased by over 66% from 2018 to 2022, going from roughly 74,000 test taken to fewer than 25,000.
| Location | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 242,714 | 225,621 | 173,176 | 156,453 | 124,112 |
| United States | 73,556 | 63,945 | 45,648 | 38,509 | 24,807 |
Since 2018, the number of GMAT exams taken by women in the U.S. has fallen slightly faster than the number of exams taken by all test takers. There has been about a 23.8% decrease in the total number of GMAT exams taken during this period and a 24.1% decrease in the number of exams taken by women.
In 2018, 38.3% of all test-takers were women, compared to 37.7% in 2022.
| Tests Taken | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | -7.8% | -13.1% | -28.6% | -15.6% | -36% |
| Women | -8.9% | -13.2% | -29.8% | -18.0% | -34% |
Should You Take the GMAT or GRE?
Most full-time MBA programs require applicants to submit either GMAT or GRE scores. While schools state that they do not prefer one over the other, the majority of accepted applicants at some of the most selective business schools took the GMAT over the GRE.
- Among Harvard Business School’s class of 2024, 69% of students submitted the GMAT, in contrast to 34% for the GRE.[4]
- For the University of Chicago’s Booth, 66% submitted their GMAT scores, and 29%, their GRE scores.[5]
- At Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, 61% submitted GMAT scores, and 39%, their GRE scores.[6]
While the GMAT and GRE overlap somewhat, they have key differences, such as the scoring scale and exam sections.
The GMAT and GRE both cover analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning, but the GMAT has an additional section called integrated reasoning.
The GMAT is also known to have a more challenging quantitative section with harder math questions. The GRE tends to have a harder verbal reasoning section with more challenging vocabulary.
The GRE is more commonly required for graduate programs in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, social work, and education.
Frequently Asked Questions About the GMAT
How long is the GMAT?
The GMAT is roughly three hours and 30 minutes long, including two 8-minute breaks.[7] The GRE is similar in length, taking a total of three hours and 45 minutes to complete.[8]
What is the highest GMAT score?
The GMAT is scored on a scale from 200-800.Note Reference [2] The exam is also scored in 10-point increments, meaning you cannot score a 711 or 755, for example.[9] The GRE, in contrast, is scored from 260-340.[10]
How many questions are on the GMAT?
In total there are 79 questions on the GMAT. This includes a 30-minute essay for the analytical writing portion, a 62-minute quantitative reasoning section, a 65-minute verbal reasoning section, and a 30-minute integrated reasoning section.Note Reference [7]