GMAT Score Ranges for Top Business Schools

So, you want to get into one of the best business schools in the country. Its great that youre reaching for the stars! Go for it! But educate yourself first before you apply. If your GMAT scores arent anywhere close to the range in which you need to be (and your work experience, undergraduate GPA, admissions interview and recommendations from professors will in no way offset your low score), then youll either need to retake the GMAT or set your sights lower. We always recommend a retake, though; its better to prepare for the test early and take it more than once if necessary than give up on your dreams if your heart is set on Kellogg or Wharton or Stanford. Basics When you finish the GMAT and get your official score report in the mail, youll see scores listed for the following sections. If youre anxious about your scores right after youve finished testing, you can record your scores immediately after your testing session and receive the unofficial Verbal, Quantitative, and Total scores. The Analytical Writing Assessment and the Integrated Reasoning sections, however, will have to wait because they are scored independently. Here are the score ranges for the four sections of the GMAT exam: Analytical Writing Assessment: Can earn you between a 0 and a 6 in half-point increments. The mean score is typically right around a 4.42. Although the score isnt taken into account as much as the other two sections, its imperative to earn the highest possible score you can. Reach for a 4.5 or higher when you practice.Integrated Reasoning: Can earn you between a 1 and an 8 in single-digit intervals. Like the AWA, it is not factored into your overall score but appears as a separate entity on your score report. The average score is a 4.26Quantitative Reasoning: Can earn you between 0 and 60 points. Scoring less than a 7 and above a 52 is rare. Shoot for the 40s if youre hoping to be considered for a top ranking business school; most applicants are in that range, although the average GMAT Quantitative score across the country is right around a 37.Verbal Reasoning: Can earn you between 0 and 60 points. Scoring less than a 9 and above a 48 is rare, although some testers make the leap. The average U.S. GMAT Verbal score is right around a 29. For a top-tier school, however, youll need to shoot for the 40s, though.Total GMAT Score: Can earn you between 200 and 800 points. Most test-takers score between 400 and 600, but your score needs to be considerably higher than that - anywhere from the mid 600s through the 700s if youre going to a top-ranking business school. Good Scores Business schools typically do not have a cut-off score for acceptance; they look at the whole applicant including your interview, admissions essay, recommendations, work experience, and GPA along with your GMAT score. If, however, youre interested in attending a top-tier school like the ones listed below, you need to be sure that youre at least scoring in the range of marks that others who have been admitted have scored. To help gauge that number, take a peek at the schools middle 80 percent of student applicants. What are the majority of admitted students earning on the GMAT? If youre in there, then theres a good chance your score will be high enough to merit the second phase of the admissions process. GMAT Scores for Top Ranking Business Schools Business School Mean Median Middle 80% Stanford University 728 NA 680 - 770 Harvard University 724 730 680 - 770 Yale University 722 720 680 - 760 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) 718 720 670 - 770 University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) 718 720 650 - 770 Northwestern University (Kellogg) 715 720 670 - 760 University of Chicago (Booth) 715 720 660 - 760 Dartmouth College (Tuck) 716 720 670 - 760 UC Berkeley (Haas) 718 710 680 - 760 New York University (Stern) 715 720 660 - 760