Engineering universities don’t usually insist on a minimum GRE score; they don’t want to turn away from top talent for something as 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.
So what is a good GRE score?
It depends on the requirement of the programme and the university that you want to apply for.
Is 320 a good GRE score?
320 is certainly a good GRE score. And it will make you eligible to apply for your desired programmes in the best and top-rated universities.
If you've received a 330 GRE score or higher, 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.
Frequently asked questions about the GRE
GRE cut-off: What’s the minimum score for college admission?
260 is regarded as the minimum test score - any result lesser than that will not be considered for admission to college.
GRE exam total marks: What’s the highest score?
The highest possible score on the GRE is 340/340, which was achieved by Ashwini Nene, the third year undergraduate engineering student from Mumbai.
How are GRE exam marks distributed?
The GRE contains multiple sections where scores are distributed. The verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE are scored between 130-170.
GRE exam dates: When do tests occur?
GRE exam dates change from year to year, and a final schedule can be found here.
GRE validity: For how long are test scores considered?
GRE scores are valid for 5 years following your last test date.
In this article, we’ll explore great universities for a GRE score of 320-330, and beyond!
Best engineering schools with GRE 320-340 scores
If you have a 320 GRE score or higher, 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 rankings, acceptance rate, or average GRE score needed for admission.
You may want a bigger programme or a smaller one, a larger city or a tiny one. There’s also the climate to consider and that’s before considering the rankings of specific engineering departments and whether you can afford it.
Most cost-effective engineering schools with GRE 320+ scores
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 universities with a GRE score between 320-330?
GRE score range for the top universities in the US
A GRE score above 320 is already above average, and with a high score, you can choose to apply to a top engineering university.
In this list, we have some top engineering colleges in the USA, their average GRE score requirements, the annual cost of attendance, and their acceptance rates to help you decide.
California Institute of Technology - School of Engineering and Applied Science
Verbal: 161
Quant: 170
GRE score: 331
USNWR engineering programme rank: 5
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $89,062
Acceptance rate: 10.6%
Stanford University - Stanford School of Engineering
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Verbal: 161
Quant: 167
GRE score: 328
USNWR engineering programme rank: 2
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $101,108
Acceptance rate: 15.3%
Columbia University - The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
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Verbal: 157
Quant: 169
GRE score: 326
USNWR engineering programme rank: 11
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $87,335
Acceptance rate: 25.2%
Princeton University - School of Engineering and Applied Science
Verbal: 160
Quant: 166
GRE score: 326
USNWR engineering programme rank: 17
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $85,120
Acceptance rate: 5%
Harvard University - John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Verbal: 161
Quant: 165
GRE score: 326
USNWR engineering programme rank: 21
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $97,642
Acceptance rate: 7.2%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - School of Engineering
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Verbal: 160
Quant: 164
GRE score: 324
USNWR engineering programme rank: 1
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $96,580
Acceptance rate: 21.2%
Yale University - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Verbal: 156
Quant: 168
GRE score: 324
USNWR engineering programme rank: 38
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $63,725
Acceptance rate: 13.6%
University of California San Diego - Jacobs School of Engineering
Verbal: 157
Quant: 166
GRE score: 323
USNWR engineering programme rank: 11
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $57,162
Acceptance rate: 33.3%
University of California Los Angeles - Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
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Verbal: 157
Quant: 166
GRE score: 323
USNWR engineering programme rank: 4
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $73,861
Acceptance rate: 25.9%
University of California Berkeley - School of Engineering
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Verbal: 156
Quant: 166
GRE score: 322
USNWR engineering programme rank: 3
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $60,932
Acceptance rate: 28.4%
Carnegie Mellon University - College of Engineering
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Verbal: 156
Quant: 166
GRE score: 322
USNWR engineering programme rank: 4
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $73,861
Acceptance rate: 23.1%
University of Pennsylvania - School of Engineering and Applied Science
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Verbal: 156
Quant: 166
GRE score: 322
USNWR engineering programme rank: 17
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $80,206
Acceptance rate: 25%
Rice University - George R. Brown School of Engineering
Verbal: 155
Quant: 167
GRE score: 322
USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $67,714
Acceptance rate: 29.3%
University of Michigan Ann Arbor - College of Engineering
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Verbal: 154
Quant: 167
GRE score: 321
USNWR engineering programme rank: 5
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $72,724
Acceptance rate: 35%
Georgia Institute of Technology - College of Engineering
Verbal: 156
Quant: 165
GRE score: 321
USNWR engineering programme rank: 7
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $50,134
Acceptance rate: 22.9%
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - College of Engineering
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Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
USNWR engineering programme rank: 10
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $50,134
Acceptance rate: 27.2%
Cornell University - College of Engineering
Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
USNWR engineering programme rank: 14
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $86,876
Acceptance rate: 32.3%
Johns Hopkins University - Whiting School of Engineering
Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
USNWR engineering programme rank: 17
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $74,642
Acceptance rate: 41.1%
Duke University - Pratt School of Engineering
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Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
USNWR engineering programme rank: 24
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $79,830
Acceptance rate: 42%
Brown University - School of Engineering
Verbal: 155
Quant: 166
GRE score: 321
USNWR engineering programme rank: 47
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $96,328
Acceptance rate: 38%
Purdue University - College of Engineering
Verbal: 155
Quant: 165
GRE score: 320
USNWR engineering programme rank: 8
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $44,908
Acceptance rate: 30.6%
University of Texas Austin - Cockrell School of Engineering
Verbal: 156
Quant: 164
GRE score: 320
USNWR engineering programme rank: 11
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $39,476
Acceptance rate: 18.2%
University of Wisconsin Madison - College of Engineering
Verbal: 156
Quant: 164
GRE score: 320
USNWR engineering programme rank: 22
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $45,951
Acceptance rate: 25.1%
Iowa State University - College of Engineering
Verbal: 153
Quant: 167
GRE score: 320
USNWR engineering programme rank: 41
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $44,902
Acceptance rate: 32.3%
Northwestern University - Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering
Verbal: 153
Quant: 166
GRE score: 319
USNWR engineering programme rank: 20
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $83,098
Acceptance rate: 22.5%
Vanderbilt University - School of Engineering
Verbal: 155
Quant: 164
GRE score: 319
USNWR engineering programme rank: 39
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $57,757
Acceptance rate: 30.3%
University of Virginia - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Verbal: 154
Quant: 165
GRE score: 319
USNWR engineering programme rank: 41
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $50,532
Acceptance rate: 25.2%
University of Minnesota Twin Cities - College of Science and Engineering
Verbal: 154
Quant: 164
GRE score: 318
USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,164
Acceptance rate: 31.3%
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - School of Engineering
Verbal: 155
Quant: 163
GRE score: 318
USNWR engineering programme rank: 41
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $74,306
Acceptance rate: 30.2%
University of Rochester - Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Verbal: 153
Quant: 165
GRE score: 318
USNWR engineering programme rank: 45
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $80,180
Acceptance rate: 52.3%
University of Southern California - Viterbi School of Engineering
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Verbal: 152
Quant: 165
GRE score: 317
USNWR engineering programme rank: 9
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $84,307
Acceptance rate: 24.3%
University of Maryland College Park - A. James Clark School of Engineering
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Verbal: 153
Quant: 164
GRE score: 317
USNWR engineering programme rank: 22
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,132
Acceptance rate: 27.9%
Ohio State University - College of Engineering
Verbal: 153
Quant: 164
GRE score: 317
USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,152
Acceptance rate: 37%
Virginia Tech - College of Engineering
Verbal: 154
Quant: 163
GRE score: 317
USNWR engineering programme rank: 31
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $46,050
Acceptance rate: 37.3%
University of California Irvine - Henry Samueli School of Engineering
Verbal: 152
Quant: 165
GRE score: 317
USNWR engineering programme rank: 36
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $65,064
Acceptance rate: 23.5%
Texas A&M University - Dwight Look College of Engineering
Verbal: 152
Quant: 164
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 15
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $40,672
Acceptance rate: 29.7%
North Carolina State University - College of Engineering
Verbal: 153
Quant: 163
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 24
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,473
Acceptance rate: 19.8%
University of California Santa Barbara - College of Engineering
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Verbal: 154
Quant: 162
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 24
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $54,759
Acceptance rate: 14.8%
University of Washington - College of Engineering
Verbal: 154
Quant: 162
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $54,219
Acceptance rate: 53.2%
University of California Davis - College of Engineering
Verbal: 153
Quant: 163
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 31
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $53,082
Acceptance rate: 30.7%
University of Colorado Boulder - College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Verbal: 154
Quant: 162
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 31
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $57,346
Acceptance rate: 47.1%
Pennsylvania State University University Park - College of Engineering
Verbal: 153
Quant: 163
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 35
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $54,000
Acceptance rate: 28.7%
New York University - Tandon School of Engineering
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Verbal: 152
Quant: 164
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 40
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,490
Acceptance rate: 44.4%
Case Western Reserve University - Case School of Engineering
Verbal: 151
Quant: 165
GRE score: 316
USNWR engineering programme rank: 52
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $67,737
Acceptance rate: 49.3%
University of Florida - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Verbal: 152
Quant: 162
GRE score: 314
USNWR engineering programme rank: 45
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $48,234
Acceptance rate: 50.4%
University of Pittsburgh - Swanson School of Engineering
Verbal: 152
Quant: 162
GRE score: 314
USNWR engineering programme rank: 47
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $65,136
Acceptance rate: 36.3%
Arizona State University - Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
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Verbal: 151
Quant: 162
GRE score: 313
USNWR engineering programme rank: 44
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $48,555
Acceptance rate: 60.1%
University of Notre Dame - College of Engineering
Verbal: 150
Quant: 163
GRE score: 313
USNWR engineering programme rank: 47
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $76,280
Acceptance rate: 5.1%
Northeastern University - College of Engineering
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Verbal: 149
Quant: 163
GRE score: 312
USNWR engineering programme rank: 34
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $44,784
Acceptance rate: 44.6%
University of Delaware - College of Engineering
Verbal: 151
Quant: 161
GRE score: 312
USNWR engineering programme rank: 47
Estimated annual cost of attendance: $53,792
Acceptance rate: 43.6%
Narrowing your shortlist of MS engineering schools based on GRE score range
GRE score range for top universities generally starts at 300. 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.
###Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good GRE score for engineering?
A GRE score above 300 is okay and about 320 is good enough for you to be able to apply for the best programmes in different fields of engineering. However, the university you choose, including your field of study, will play a role too.
What is the validity of the GRE score?
A GRE score is valid for 5 years.
Is 320 a good GRE score for computer science?
Yes, on average - 320 is a good GRE score and makes you eligible for the programme of your choice, including computer science. However, your chances of being selected will always depend on the university you are applying for and the number of other applicants with competitive scores.
What is the highest GRE score ever?
The GRE highest score one can achieve is 340.
Where do I find the Prodigy Finance college list?
Prodigy Finance supports about 840+ universities and various programmes. You can find a complete list of the universities we support.
What GRE score do I need for Harvard?
There is no fixed range specified for Harvard but anything above a 300 or 320 GRE score will make you a competitive candidate for admission.
Need funding for your dream school?
Prodigy Finance can help you with that. We provide student loans for an international masters education, without co-signer and collateral.
Prodigy Finance Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
If you want to go ahead and know the difference between a master of science and a master of engineering, and what to look for in a best study abroad loan, or if you want to know what and where to study, try our Study Centre which is filled with expert opinions on a range of topics.
For any other information about Prodigy Finance, or our student loan process, feel free to browse through our site, or register for a webinar to have your questions answered by one of our team.
Post updated for accuracy and freshness on May 19, 2022. Originally published on August 27, 2018.