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Katie Schenk - November 19, 2019
Engineering universities don’t usually insist on a minimum GRE score; they don’t want to turn away from top talent for something a negligible as a test score.
Okay, we know your GRE score is no small thing when you’re busy applying to international universities, but the folks in admissions know that students are much more than a single test result. Stellar applicants still have a solid chance of admission with a low GRE score - as long as the rest of the application demands it.
That’s why you won’t find MIT demanding a minimum GRE score of 330. Indeed, you won’t find many, if any, schools doing it. But, if you’re lucky, your top choice schools will provide you with an expected range.
If you've scored over 330 on the GRE, you can comfortably apply to just about any school, as the average GRE scores from the top 50 schools (according to the 2020 U.S. News & World Report ranking) suggest.
If your GRE is well above 320, you may think there aren’t many reasons to apply to a school that’s lower on the ranking list.
But, there’s a lot more to choosing a university than its position in the rankings or the GRE scores they accept.
You may want a bigger programme or a smaller one, a larger city or a tiny one. There’s also climate to consider and that’s before considering the rankings of specific engineering departments and whether you can afford it.
So, let’s consider the universities accepting GRE 320+ scores in terms of cost.
The figures provided alongside the average GRE scores below have been taken from information provided by each school. It’s the Cost of Attendance (including tuition and living expenses) for an academic year. The most recent figures have been pulled. In most cases, that means costs for 2019-2020.
With these costs reflecting a single year of study, we’d bet that there are plenty of students willing to look at a few universities in a new light.
And then, it’s worth considering the selectivity of some of these programmes. That certainly makes it easier to consider your safety choices (because a perfect GRE score isn’t everything – even to admissions committees).
While the numbers certainly fluctuate year on year, some schools are definitely more selective than others.
What are your chances of acceptance into schools with GRE 330+ or 320+ scores?
Verbal: 161
Quant: 170
GRE score: 331
Verbal: 161
Quant: 167
GRE score: 328
Verbal: 157
Quant: 169
GRE score: 326
Verbal: 160
Quant: 166
GRE score: 326
Verbal: 161
Quant: 165
GRE score: 326
Verbal: 160
Quant: 164
GRE score: 324
Verbal: 156
Quant: 168
GRE score: 324
Verbal: 157
Quant: 166
GRE score: 323
Verbal: 157
Quant: 166
GRE score: 323
Verbal: 156
Quant: 166
GRE score: 322
Verbal: 156
Quant: 166
GRE score: 322
Verbal: 156
Quant: 166
GRE score: 322
Verbal: 155
Quant: 167
GRE score: 322
Verbal: 154
Quant: 167
GRE score: 321
Verbal: 156
Quant: 165
GRE score: 321
Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
Verbal: 155
Quant: 165
GRE score: 320
Verbal: 156
Quant: 164
GRE score: 320
Verbal: 156
Quant: 164
GRE score: 320
Verbal: 153
Quant: 167
GRE score: 320
Verbal: 153
Quant: 166
GRE score: 319
Verbal: 155
Quant: 164
GRE score: 319
Verbal: 154
Quant: 165
GRE score: 319
Verbal: 154
Quant: 164
GRE score: 318
Verbal: 155
Quant: 163
GRE score: 318
Verbal: 153
Quant: 165
GRE score: 318
Verbal: 152
Quant: 165
GRE score: 317
Verbal: 153
Quant: 164
GRE score: 317
Verbal: 153
Quant: 164
GRE score: 317
Verbal: 154
Quant: 163
GRE score: 317
Verbal: 152
Quant: 165
GRE score: 317
Verbal: 152
Quant: 164
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 153
Quant: 163
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 154
Quant: 162
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 154
Quant: 162
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 153
Quant: 163
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 154
Quant: 162
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 153
Quant: 163
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 152
Quant: 164
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 151
Quant: 165
GRE score: 316
Verbal: 152
Quant: 162
GRE score: 314
Verbal: 152
Quant: 162
GRE score: 314
Verbal: 151
Quant: 162
GRE score: 313
Verbal: 150
Quant: 163
GRE score: 313
Verbal: 149
Quant: 163
GRE score: 312
Verbal: 151
Quant: 161
GRE score: 312
Not everyone can achieve a GRE 320+ score. You may have an amazing undergrad record and awesome recommendations, but so does a lot of the competition.
One of the biggest factors will be the departments and degrees available. (And, we know that there are some people that just won’t manage in the frosty snow of New York City.)
Plus, there’s the ability to secure funding to attend.
Take a closer look at the programmes that sparked your interest - and the loan terms Prodigy Finance can offer once you're accepted. And then, it's probably time you went back to studying for the GRE.
Got the GRE score you need? Now it's time to get a loan
Prodigy Finance provides loans to international engineering students pursuing their masters degrees at top universities across the globe. It only takes 30 minutes to apply for our collateral-free, no-cosigner loans. So, what are you waiting for?
Prodigy Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Post updated for accuracy and freshness on November 19, 2019. Originally published on August 27, 2018.
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