What is the average GMAT score at top business schools? What does the average GMAT score at your prospective business school mean for you?

In this article, I’ll go over the 50 highest average GMAT scores at MBA programs, how to find the average GMAT score by school, and what those average scores mean for your MBA admissions.

 

Understanding Average GMAT Score by School

The overall, worldwide average GMAT score of test-takers is 551.94. However, that number incorporates everyone who take the GMAT, including those who don’t end up applying or getting into business school.

Generally speaking, you’ll need to score much more highly than the average prospective MBA student to get into most business schools. Average GMAT scores at top 50 business schools are especially high, ranging from the 700s at top-ranking MBA programs like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and the University of Chicago, to the 650+ range for mid-ranking schools.

Average GMAT scores have also gone up over time at nearly all MBA programs. At U. Penn’s Wharton School of Business, for example, the average GMAT score of incoming students went up 14 points between 2011 and 2015 (from 718 to 732). At Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business, the average GMAT score rose from 638 to 664 in the same time period, a 26-point increase.

These increases are partly due to the influx of international students taking the exam, as many students from outside the U.S. score more highly on the quantitative section than do American test-takers. Another factor is the schools’ desire to move up in MBA rankings, which are partly based on average GMAT scores. MBA programs seeking to move up the rankings ladder often offer more scholarship money and other incentives to high-scoring students.

 

 

Average GMAT Score by School: The Top 50 

Let’s take a look at the top 50 average GMAT scores by school. These averages include only full-time U.S.-based MBA programs and are based on data compiled in 2016.

Remember that most of the info available out there is on the average (mean) GMAT score, which can be skewed by outliers like one or two very low or very high scores from exceptional students. A few schools release info about their median GMAT score, which means there are an equal number of scores below and above that score. These are noted in the chart.

As you look through this data, keep in mind that that PrepScholar GMAT’s online course comes with a 60 point GMAT score improvement guarantee, which will get you closer to your dream school’s average GMAT score!

School	Average GMAT Score
Stanford Graduate School of Business	733
U. Penn Wharton School of Business	732
University of Chicago Booth School of Business	726
Harvard Business School	725 (median)
Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University	724
Yale School of Management	721 (median)
NYU Stern School of Business	720
Tuck College of Business at Dartmouth	717
MIT Sloan School of Management	716
Columbia Business School	715
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business	715 (median)
UCLA Anderson School of Management	713
University of Michigan Ross School of Business	708
University of Virginia Darden School of Business	706
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School	701 (median)
Cornell University, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management	697
Duke Fuqua School of Business	696
Washington University, Olin Business School	695
UT Austin McCombs School of Business	694
Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business	692
Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business	690
Vanderbilt University, Owen School of Management	690
University of Washington, Foster School of Business	688
Boston University	682
University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business	682
University of Florida Hough Graduate School of Business	681
University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management	680
USC Marshall School of Business	679 (median)
Emory University, Goizueta Business School	678
Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business	678
Rice University, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business	676
BYU Marriott School of Management	674
Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business	672
University of Iowa, Tippie College of Business	670
University of Wisconsin-Madison	669
Indiana University Kelley School of Business	668
University of Rochester Simon Business School	667
Ohio State Fisher College of Business	664
MSU Eli Broad College of Business	664
University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business	658
SMU Cox School of Business	656
UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business	656
University of Illinois	654
Texas A&M Mays Business School	654
University of Georgia Terry College of Business	643
George Washington University	642
Penn State Smeal College of Business	636
Purdue Krannert School of Management	635
Temple University Fox School of Business	632
University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business	647

 

How to Find the Average GMAT Score by School That Matters for You

In order to plan your GMAT prep, you’ll need to set a target GMAT score based on the average scores of the admitted students at the schools you’re considering. Doing so let’s you see what kind of score you’ll need to be in the running and how much studying you’ll have to do to get there (or, in extreme cases, whether a schools is feasible for you at all).

To find the average GMAT score by school, first look for the most recent class profile, where business schools list demographic data about their admitted MBA students. You can usually find this page on schools’ websites or by searching “[business school] class profile” on Google. For example, here’s Stanford’s class of 2018 profile which was the top hit when I searched “stanford business school class profile”:

If a school doesn’t list this info on their website (you can also check the section on test scores), try looking at other publications and sites. Poets and Quants and US News will list this data for many schools and are extremely reliable, but make sure to treat any data from less reputable sites cautiously.

Once you’ve found the average GMAT scores of each of your prospective business schools, you can use them to set a goal score. Your target GMAT score should be the highest average GMAT score in your list, or, to be safe, 20 points higher than that score. For more information on setting a target score, check out What’s a Good GMAT Score?

 

 

What If Your GMAT Score Is Lower Than Average?

If your GMAT score is low, don’t lose hope (after all, Harvard Business School did enroll a student with a 510 GMAT in 2014, so nothing is impossible). Average GMAT scores by school just give the middle of the program’s GMAT range, some students score higher while others score lower. If you’re just slightly below your goal (10-20 points), you shouldn’t worry too much — you’re still well within range for your target schools, even if your GMAT score won’t stand out the way you might hope.

If, on the other hand, your score is well below the average for your target schools, the best option is to prepare further, focus on your weaknesses, and retake the GMAT. Many students take the GMAT several times, and it isn’t looked down on by business schools. You can’t take the GMAT more than once a month, but you can take it as many times as you like. It’s not an inexpensive test, though, so you should get yourself as ready as possible before taking the exam a second or third time.

If you really can’t raise your score and are still 30+ points below average, you might want to adjust your list of schools. That might mean simply applying to some less competitive business schools that accept students with lower GMAT scores or looking at less traditional MBAs, like international, online or part-time programs. While there are some disadvantages to part-time and online MBA programs in particular, like fewer networking opportunities, there are many accredited, high-quality schools outside of the conventional realm.

Finally, if you’re really concerned about your GMAT score, there are some business schools that waive the GMAT requirement for students with extensive work experience or prior academic achievement. Check out our guide to MBAs that don’t require the GMAT (coming soon) for a list.

 

 

What’s Next?

MBAs That Don’t Require the GMAT (coming soon) will give you a guide to business schools to check out if you aren’t planning on taking the exam.

Not sure if you should retake the GMAT? (coming soon) Check out our article to help you decide whether to take the GMAT more than once.

Wondering what’s actually a good GMAT score? Our guide to good, bad, and excellent GMAT scores will help you set a target GMAT score, depending on your preferred business school.