Founded in 1701, Yale is one of the oldest universities in the U.S. It is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and enrolls students from around 110 countries. 

The prestige that Yale carries is evident by the highly competitive admissions criteria. Ranked 11th by USNEWS, Yale has time and again proven to be among the world’s best universities. 

Yale offers an extensive list of programs, with some having their separate schools, such as the law school and the medical school. Yale Law School is easily the most highly regarded law school globally and is ranked at #1 by US NEWS. 

In today’s article, we will look at the average GRE scores of the different Yale schools so that aspirants can get an idea of what it takes to get in.

What are the major Yale Schools?

• Yale University Business School
• Yale University Law School
• Yale University Medical School
• Yale University Engineering School
• Yale University Nursing School
• Yale School of Art
• Yale School of Public Health

What are the Average GRE Scores for Yale?

Yale is one of the most prestigious universities globally and getting into it is no easy feat. Competition is incredibly high, and thus your GRE score has to be in the top 1-15% of GRE test-takers.

*If you don’t find the GRE score for the program you are interested in, you can instead look for a similar program in the table and get an idea of the average GRE score.

What is a good GRE score for Yale?

Your GRE score, in large part, depends on what specific program you are applying to. STEM programs tend to have a higher average GRE quant score, whereas social sciences tend to have a higher verbal average.

If we are to go by the table above, it is evident that Yale’s Engineering school has the highest average GRE score requirement. You would need to score a near-perfect quant score of 168 and a verbal score of 160 to stand a strong chance. Add to this a couple of points to secure your position, and you are looking at a score in the 95th percentile and above range.

Interestingly enough, the engineering school’s doctorate programs have an average GRE score requirement, which is a couple of points lower than the master’s program. In any case, if you are applying to Yale Engineering school, you have to be at the top of your game to secure a seat.

So, what is then a good GRE score for Yale? Well, I would say that take the average GRE score of the program you are interested in and add 3-4 points. That, in my opinion, is a good GRE score for that particular program.

What is a bad GRE Score for Yale?

Since competition is exceptionally high at Yale, anything that is 3-4 points below the averages provided in the table can be considered “bad.” However, do note that admissions are not entirely black and white and rely heavily on your application as a whole. You may get away with a marginally low GRE score in some rare cases – this is if you have other things on your application to make for it, such as work/research experience, strong recommendations, etc.

That being said, Yale has an average acceptance rate of only 6.1 percent, which means that out of every 100 applicants, only six are admitted into the school. Moreover, Yale expects a GPA score of 3.8 or above, especially for its STEM programs, which doesn’t make things any better. If Yale is your dream school, then you know what sort of an application you need, and your GRE is just a part of it, albeit an important one.

What if the program I am interested in is not on the list? 

Unfortunately, Yale does not share GRE data for all the programs. Due to the sheer volume of the programs offered by Yale and other major universities, it is almost impossible to provide average GRE scores for each one.

So, if you don’t find the program you are interested in what you can do instead is take a somewhat related program. For example, average GRE scores for Yale’s microeconomics program are nowhere to be found. Instead, we can take International and development economics and use its average GRE score to get an idea: 165 quant and 159 on the verbal.

Since both these programs relate to the same field, it can give you a rough idea of your GRE score for that program. 

Is GRE important for Yale?

Yale takes a holistic approach to your application regarding admissions, so GRE is not the only important consideration for them. However, schools use your GRE scores to gauge your readiness for grad school and predict your performance if you get admitted. 

Years of data and research has shown that those who score high on their GRE do better when it comes to their course work. Hence, schools rely on your GRE score as it is a quantifiable measure of your abilities.

Nevertheless, GRE is only part of the story regarding your chances of getting into a school like Yale. Due to the high competition, GRE scores alone can’t be used to take in applicants. If this was the case, then getting into Yale would be a lot easier because scoring extremely good on GRE is not nearly as difficult as having a flawless application in all regards.

For example, Yale’s psychology department has a low acceptance rate of only 2.5 percent, while the average GRE score is 167 Quant and 162 Verbal. Believe it or not, hundreds of students will easily attain that sort of a GRE score in any given year. So, Yale has to consider other things on your application to see what makes you better than the number of people who submitted the same GRE scores as you.

This is where the rest of your application comes in. Graduate programs, in general, including Yale, are equally concerned about your undergrad GPA, research experience, work experience, recommendations, references, personal statement, etc. These are the things that you should be also worried about because even if you score a few points lower on your GRE than the average, you might be able to make up for it by showing strong qualities and achievements in the rest of your application. 

Should I retake the GRE if my Score is low?

If you are bent on getting into Yale, and you will not settle for anything else, then sure, retaking the GRE is a good idea. In fact, according to ETS, 1 in 4 test-takers retook the GRE, and that number has been shown to increase each year. Moreover, most students who retook the test did better on their second attempt. 

However, I don’t think you should retake the GRE if your score is only 2-3 points behind the average of the program you are interested in. For example, Yale Business School has a GRE cumulative average score of 329. If you scored 326-328, then I don’t see a reason to retake the test; however, if your score is 320 or less and think you can close that gap, then, by all means, retake the GRE.

We have had students ask us if retaking the GRE would negatively reflect their applications from the school’s perspective. Fortunately, the answer to the question is a resounding NO. Schools aren’t at all concerned with how many times you have retaken the GRE; if anything, it might show your perseverance. 

You can retake the GRE up to 5 times per year with at least 21 days between the two attempts. Hopefully, you won’t need to retake it that many times, but it’s always good to know.

Moreover, some schools may ask you to submit all your GRE scores as part of their policy. If you are applying to such a school, make sure you abide by the rules, but fortunately, this requirement is infrequent amongst grad schools.

Improving your score is entirely possible but sit down and figure out what you did wrong the first time around. If you can afford it, I would suggest that you sign up for a reputable online course as well.