fbpx

[2024] Harvard: Average GRE, GPA of Admitted Students

For STEM programs, an ideal GRE score is 165+ (Q), 162+ (V), 4.5+ (AWA). For non-STEM, it is 160+ (Q), 164+ (V), 5.0+ (AWA).

Thousands of applicants worldwide dream of going to Harvard each year. 

A persistent question that I get asked by many of these applicants is what role the GRE plays in gaining admission to Harvard.

Harvard being very competitive, does not rely on any single criterion for acceptance. Instead, it looks at many factors, from your essays to your interviews and letters of recommendation

However, the GRE and your GPA are the most critical factors that decide your fate.

Harvard has Several Prestigious Schools.

Harvard University, one of the elite IVY League, has the following schools that accept GRE scores.

  • Harvard Business School
  • Harvard Law School
  • Harvard Graduate School of Design
  • Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
  • School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
  • Harvard Kennedy School

These schools offer some of the most globally renowned programs, with an average acceptance rate of less than 15%. 

Most of the programs under these schools require the GRE, whereas some either don’t need it or make it an optional requirement.

Harvard is a Tough Nut to Crack

Since Harvard is the most prestigious school in the world, it is natural that getting admission there will be highly competitive. 

For over half of the programs offered at various Harvard schools, the average GRE score requirements are in the upper 80th Percentile

Even in Engineering, where Verbal scores are unimportant, Harvard’s GRE verbal expected score is 162+.

Moreover, having a high GRE score does not guarantee admission since Harvard considers so many other factors. Some of these factors include:

  • Immaculate Personal Statement or Essays
  • The calibre of your referees and their references
  • Work Experience (in case of professional degrees)
  • Research experience & Publications (in case of research programs)
  • GPA and your grades in relevant courses

When applying to Harvard, you should strive to perfect every aspect of your application. 

GRE & GPA are part of the process but don’t solely rely on them. The competition is fierce, so you should be putting months of effort into planning your application to any Harvard program. 

In addition, purchasing college essays online can also affect applicant scores, so be careful using those services.

What is Harvard’s Average GRE score?

The average GRE score requirement varies from school to school at Harvard. 

For instance, Harvard Graduate School of Education accepted PhD candidates with an average of 156 (Quantitative) and 159 (verbal). 

On the other hand, for the engineering school, the Quant scores were 167, while verbal scores stood at 162. 

So, you cannot aim for one specific score since it varies greatly between disciplines and depends on other broader criteria. 

A graduate program in English would require a 90th percentile or so verbal score. 

Even for Analytical Writing (AWA), which is not considered very important, Harvard’s overall average AWA score is around 4.5.

Regardless of whichever discipline you are targeting, you should aim for a high 85 percentile score on each section. 

Harvard law school, for example, requires either the LSAT or the GRE. Though Law schools are not very focused on quant scores, Harvard Law School (HLS) students have an average GRE score in mid 80th Percentile. (162+ Quant and 161+ Verbal) 

Those looking for bursaries will have a better chance with a higher GRE score.

Moreover, anomalies are always there – for instance, a student recently got into Harvard business with a GRE score of 159 Q and 154 V. 

Now, why did this happen? 

It is simple; he had over seven years of professional experience with over four marketing publications in reputed international journals. 

The key is not to fret over the GRE scores since you are a well-rounded candidate – however, if you lack in other areas, then GRE can be a saviour.

Below I have divided the average GRE score requirement of each of Harvard’s schools. 

Moreover, within each school, you will find the average GRE scores of the admitted applicants for the respective individual programs. 

All programs have been arranged for you, and in case you have trouble finding your program, you can use the search bar in the tables.

Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School’s programs have an average GRE Quant Score of 166 (84 percentile), Verbal Score of 162 (90 percentile), and AWA Score of 5.0 (91 percentile).

Moreover, they recommend an average GPA of 3.85.

Specifically, HBS’s MBA program has an average GRE Quant score of 167 (87 percentile), Verbal score of 163 (92 percentile), and AWA Score of 5.0 (91 percentile). The MBA program also requires and average GPA of 3.7.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into the MBA program at Harvard would be 168+ on Quant, 164+ on verbal, and a 5.5+ on the AWA.

Program OfferedAverage GRE Quant ScoreAverage GRE Verbal ScoreAverage GRE AWA ScoreAverage Undergraduate GPA
MBA1671635.03.7
MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences1641625.03.8
PhD in Business Administration1651615.53.85
PhD in Business Economics1641625.03.75
PhD program in Organizational Behavior1651615.03.8

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Harvard Engineering has an average GRE Quant Score of 167 (87 percentile), Verbal Score of 163 (92 percentile), and AWA Score of 3.8 (54 percentile).

Moreover, the program recommends an average GPA of 3.8.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into Harvard Engineering would be 168+ on Quant, 165+ on verbal, and 4.5+ on the AWA.

Program OfferedAverage GRE Quant ScoreAverage GRE Verbal ScoreAverage GRE AWA ScoreAverage Undergraduate GPA
Applied Mathematics (Ph.D.)1681604.53.9
Applied Physics (Ph.D.)1671615.03.85
Bioengineering (Ph.D.)1671604.53.9
Computer Science (Ph.D.)1681614.53.7
Electrical Engineering (Ph.D.)1681625.03.85
Environmental Science & Engineering (Ph.D.)1681615.03.9
Master in Design Engineering1681625.03.9
Master's in Computational Science and Engineering1671624.53.80
Master's in Data Science1681614.53.85
Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering (Ph.D.)1671614.53.8
MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences1671624.53.8

Harvard Graduate School of Design

Harvard Design and Architecture has an average GRE Quant Score of 159 (64 percentile), Verbal Score of 158 (78 percentile), and AWA Score of 3.6 (37 percentile).

Moreover, they also recommend an average GPA of 3.6.

So, in terms of GRE and GPA, Harvard Architecture is not as rigorous as other programs like Engineering and Business.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into Harvard Design and Architecture would be 160+ on Quant, 160+ on verbal, and a 4.0+ on the AWA.

Program OfferedAverage GRE Quant ScoreAverage GRE Verbal ScoreAverage GRE AWA ScoreAverage Undergraduate GPA
Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design1601564.53.6
Master of Architecture in Urban Design1591584.03.6
Master in Urban Planning and Public Policy1581574.53.65
Master in Urban Planning and Public Health1601574.03.6
Master in Urban Planning and Public Administration1591574.03.58
Master in Urban Planning and Juris Doctor1591584.53.6
Master in Urban Planning1591564.03.7
Master in Landscape Architecture1601564.53.65
Master in Design Studies (MDes)1591604.03.6
Master in Architecture1591574.03.6
Doctor of Design Program (DDes)1591574.03.6

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Harvard Education program has an average GRE Quant Score of 157 (57 percentile), Verbal Score of 158 (78 percentile), and AWA Score of 3.6 (54 percentile).

Moreover, they recommend an average GPA of 3.6.

Like Harvard’s School of Architecture, Harvard’s School of Education is not cutthroat regarding GRE scores and GPA.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into the Harvard School of Education would be 158+ on Quant, 160+ on verbal, and a 4.0+ on the AWA.

Program OfferedAverage GRE Quant ScoreAverage GRE Verbal ScoreAverage GRE AWA ScoreAverage Undergraduate GPA
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education1581594.53.5
Master's in Education1561594.03.6
The Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.)1571604.53.65

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Harvard’s MPH program has an average GRE Quant Score of 160 (67 percentile), Verbal Score of 158 (78 percentile), and AWA Score of 4.5 (79 percentile).

Moreover, the programs also have an average GPA of 3.8.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into Harvard’s Public Health programs would be 162+ on Quant, 160+ on verbal, and a 5.0+ on the AWA.

Program OfferedAverage GRE Quant ScoreAverage GRE Verbal ScoreAverage GRE AWA ScoreAverage Undergraduate GPA
Doctor of Public Health1601585.03.8
Master in Health Care Management1591574.53.7
Master of Public Health1601575.03.65
MPH in Epidemiology Online/On-Campus1591584.53.65
PhD in Biological Sciences in Public Health1601585.03.8
PhD in Biostatistics1611585.53.85
PhD in Population Health Sciences1601584.53.8
PhD program in Health Policy (Management)1621655.03.7

Harvard Kennedy School

Harvard Kennedy School programs, like MPP and MPA, have an average GRE Quant Score of 160 (67 percentile), Verbal Score of 163 (92 percentile), and AWA Score of 4.5 (79 percentile).

Moreover, the programs also has an average GPA of 3.7.

Therefore, a good GRE score for getting into their Public Policy and Administration programs would be 162+ on Quant, 165+ on verbal, and a 5.0+ on the AWA.

Program OfferedAverage GRE Quant ScoreAverage GRE Verbal ScoreAverage GRE AWA ScoreAverage Undergraduate GPA
Master in Public Administration1601624.53.65
Master in Public Administration in International Development1591645.03.7
Master in Public Policy1591634.53.6
Mid-Career Master in Public Administration1581624.53.65
PhD in Public Policy1621645.03.7
PhD in Political Economy & Government1611655.03.8
PhD in Social Policy1621634.53.8
PhD in Political ScienceGRE is not required

Harvard Medical School

GRE recommended, GPA Average: 3.8

Program OfferedAverage GRE Quant ScoreAverage GRE Verbal ScoreAverage GRE AWA ScoreAverage Undergrad GPA
PhD in Bioinformatics and Integrative GenomicsGRE recommended, not required3.8
PhD in Biological and Biomedical SciencesGRE recommended, not required3.85
PhD in ImmunologyGRE recommended, not required3.75
PhD in NeuroscienceGRE recommended, not required3.8
PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyGRE recommended, not required3.8
PhD in VirologyGRE recommended, not required3.85

Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Arts programs at Harvard mostly don’t require a GRE score. However, some do.

The ones that do require a GRE score, recommend an average GRE Quant Score of 155 (51 percentile), Verbal Score of 158 (78 percentile), and AWA Score of 3.5 (37 percentile).

Moreover, the arts programs also require an average GPA of 3.6.

Similarly, some science programs at Harvard also don’t need a GRE score. But the ones that do, recommend a 164 on Math, 158 on verbal and a 4.5 on AWA.

Program OfferedAverage GRE Quant ScoreAverage GRE Verbal ScoreAverage GRE AWA ScoreAverage Undergraduate GPA
Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry (PhD only)1561614.53.5
Master's and PhD in Celtic Languages and LiteraturesGRE recommended, not required3.6
Master's and PhD in History of ScienceGRE recommended, not required3.7
Master's and PhD in Middle Eastern Studies1541574.03.6
Master's and PhD in Music
Specialization in Composition
1561614.53.5
Masters and PhD in AnthropologyGRE recommended, not required3.7
Masters and PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations1551624.53.6
Masters and PhD in South Asian Studies1551624.53.6
Masters in Regional Studies–East Asia1571635.03.7
Masters in Regional Studies–Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia1581634.53.7
Music Theory (PhD only)1561614.53.5
Musicology/Ethnomusicology (PhD only)1561614.53.5
Musicology/Historical (PhD only)1561614.53.5
Performance Practice* (Master's only)1561614.53.5
PhD in African and African American Studies1531645.03.7
PhD in American StudiesGRE is not required3.8
PhD in AstronomyGRE is not required3.9
PhD in Biophysics1681645.03.9
PhD in Chemical Physics1661624.53.98
PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology1661624.53.98
PhD in Comparative Literature1531645.03.6
PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences1661625.03.8
PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations1551635.53.7
PhD in Economics1681655.53.8
PhD in EnglishGRE is not required3.7
PhD in Film and Visual Studies1561675.03.7
PhD in Germanic Languages and Literatures1541625.03.8
PhD in Government1561614.53.7
PhD in History1511645.03.8
PhD in History of Art and Architecture1571624.53.7
PhD in Human Evolutionary BiologyGRE recommended, not required3.6
PhD in Inner Asian and Altaic StudiesGRE is Required but Scores are not available3.6
PhD in PhysicsGRE is not required
GRE Subject in Physics is optional
3.8
PhD in Psychology1571624.53.7
PhD in RelegionGRE recommended, not required3.7
PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures1581655.03.8
PhD in Slavic Languages and LiteraturesGRE is not required3.9
PhD in SociologyGRE is Required but Scores are not available3.8
PhD in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT)GRE recommended, not required3.8
PhD in Statistics1681594.53.9
PhD in Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology​GRE recommended, not required3.7
PhD in The Classics1531634.53.8

Does Harvard have a Minimum GRE Score requirement?

Harvard values diversity. None of the programs offered at Harvard has any fixed selection criteria.

Based on Harvard’s data, a minimum GRE score is 158 on Math, 155 on Verbal, and 4 on Analytical Writing.

You can get into Harvard even if you have low GRE scores. There are numerous cases where applicants scored far below the minimum GRE score but they got admitted.

Moreover, if you have a strong profile – international publications in high impact factor jorunals and conferences, strong recommendation letters, a pursuasive personal statement, and a high 3.5+ GPA – then you can get into Harvard even with a very low GRE score of below 300.

What is an Ideal GRE score for Harvard?

For STEM programs, an ideal GRE score for Harvard is 165+ for Math, 162+ for Verbal, and a 4.5+ for AWA.

For Non-STEM programs, an ideal GRE score for Harvard is 160+ for Math, 164+ for Verbal, and a 5.0+ for AWA.

 

Can I get into Harvard with a Low GRE score?

Harvard considers several factors before deciding admissions decisions. However, Harvard uses no formulae or quantitative measures to determine success.

Academic excellence is one critical parameter that Harvard uses to assess applicants. This is usually determined by a high GRE score or a high GPA.

If you don’t have a very high GRE score, you should have a 3.5+ GPA so that Harvard feels confident in your academic abilities.

Conversely, if your GPA and GRE are below par, then admission is unlikely.

It also depends on the program to which you are applying. Engineering, Business, Economics, and Finance are incredibly Quant and GPA heavy.

In these programs, successful applicants have a 3.7+ GPA and a 165+ Quantitative score. 

You can take a shot with a 60+ percentile score if you have some extraordinary achievements like research, publications, or significant professional work.

Otherwise, if your other profile is pretty average, anything below 160 on Math and a less than 3.5 GPA is a sure-shot rejection.

Some applicants can make it into Harvard even with very low Cumulative GPAs. This is because they have very high grades in relevant and rigorous courses. So, the individual grades of your undergrad courses matter a lot as well.

Should I take the GRE if my program doesn’t require it?

Some programs recommend taking the GRE, but they don’t require the GRE. In such cases, always take the GRE and aim for at least a 60th percentile score. This is because many applicants take the GRE and apply even if their program doesn’t need one. Therefore, to remain relevant in the eyes of the admissions panel, you should take the GRE.

In these instances, not taking the GRE will not disqualify you, but taking the GRE will give you a better chance of getting accepted.

Ultimately, even just one problem with your application, such as a clichéd statement of purpose or sloppy CV, can make Harvard decide to reject you. So spend time making each element of your application shine!

These scores have been collected from Harvard’s websites. However, some Harvard schools did not publicly provide their GRE scores, so we reached out to them or to their past or current students to get this information. 

SEE ALSO

LSAT & GRE scores for Top 20 US Law Schools

Lawyers are one of the most highly paid individuals in the world. Although it does depend on which specific area lawyer practices in, generally speaking, a lawyer can make anywhere from $60,000 to $200,000 per year. Yale Law School, the highest-ranked law school...

read more

What is a good GRE score in 2024?

A good GRE score is the one that can get you into the program of your choice. This would vary significantly from one school to another and from one program to another. Nevertheless, it would help if you aimed for an objective score that is considered acceptable. In...

read more

Vet Schools: Average GRE scores & GPA for Admissions

The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program is for those who love animals and enjoy science. Veterinarians (Vets) are healthcare providers who have a DVM degree, which equips them with expertise in caring for a range of animals, from household pets to zoo animals....

read more

Best PA Schools that don’t require GRE

Admissions to the top PA (Physician Assistant) schools in the U.S. are incredibly competitive. Admissions committees review applicants on diverse factors such as: Academic performance (based on the GRE, CGPA and Science GPA) Diversity in the healthcare experience...

read more

GRE Scores for Top 30 PT (Physical Therapy) Schools

Physical therapist (PT) professional education prepares students to practice physical therapy. Physical therapists start around $90,000, which is much higher than the average salaries of other college graduates. It is among the top healthcare careers in the U.S....

read more

GRE Scores for Top 25 PA (Physician Assistant) Schools

Physician assistants, PAs for short, are educated in general medicine. They practice medicine, generally under the supervision of a physician or a surgeon. PAs have competitive salaries and typically make over $100,000 on average. By 2030, this segment will grow by...

read more