What is a good GRE score?

The short answer

There is no single good GRE score. A score is good only in context, meaning the percentile it falls in and the programs you are applying to. The same number can be strong for one department and average for another, so treat any threshold you hear as a starting point, not a rule.

The score scales

The GRE reports three scores on two scales. Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each reported from 130 to 170 in 1-point increments (accessed 2026-08-07), and Analytical Writing is reported from 0 to 6 in half-point increments. Knowing the scale matters because a number like 160 means nothing until you know which measure it is on.

What the percentiles say

Percentiles tell you how you did relative to other test takers. In the ETS interpretive data, a Verbal score of 160 sits at about the 82nd percentile (accessed 2026-08-07), while a Quant score of 160 sits at about the 50th percentile. The Quant distribution runs higher than the Verbal one, so the same raw number is a very different percentile on each measure. That is why comparing Verbal and Quant scores directly can be misleading.

How to set a target

Work backward from the programs on your list. Find each program's typical or median GRE range, then set your target at or above it for the measure that matters most to that field. A quantitative field will weigh your Quant percentile heavily, while a writing-intensive field may care more about Verbal and Analytical Writing. Once you have a target number, convert it to a percentile so you know how much of the field you need to clear.

Aim high, send your best

Whatever target you set, ScoreSelect lets you send only your strongest administration from the last five years (accessed 2026-08-07). Aiming high across a couple of attempts carries little downside, since a weaker sitting need not be reported.

Sources

Every source below was accessed on the listed date. Pages — especially department admissions pages — change without notice; the links go to the live versions.

1. Getting Your GRE General Test Scores — ETS. Accessed 2026-08-07.
2. GRE General Test Interpretive Data (Tables 1A–1C, 2026–27 edition) — ETS. Accessed 2026-08-07.
3. Sending Your GRE General Test Scores — ETS. Accessed 2026-08-07.