Top B-Schools That Accept GRE Scores

Many of the top business schools around the world have begun accepting GRE (Graduate Record Exam) scores in addition to GMAT scores for admissions to their MBA and graduate business programs. This trend is part of a growing shift in graduate business education, where GRE scores are now widely recognized as an alternative to the GMAT, offering more flexibility to applicants. Schools across various continents are allowing prospective students to submit GRE scores as part of their application to demonstrate their readiness for graduate-level business studies. Below are some prominent examples of top business schools accepting GRE scores.

Queen’s School of Business, located in Canada, is one of the leading business schools that require applicants to take either the GMAT or GRE. The school’s MBA program is highly competitive, and most successful applicants typically have a GRE score of 650 or more in both the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections. However, Queen’s School of Business is also open to considering applicants with lower scores, provided they demonstrate exceptional qualities in other aspects of their application. This flexibility allows Queen’s to accept a diverse range of applicants with different academic and professional backgrounds.

In Canada, the University of Calgary's MBA program also accepts GRE scores for admission. However, applicants to the thesis-based MBA program are expected to have a minimum GRE score that places them in the 85th percentile. This is equivalent to a score of around 600 on the GRE. For the University of Calgary, while the GRE is an option, they also consider GMAT scores as a primary benchmark for evaluating candidates, particularly for those applying to non-thesis MBA programs. This requirement emphasizes the competitive nature of the program, highlighting the need for strong academic ability and business acumen.

In the United States, several top business schools, including New York University’s Stern School of Business, have joined the ranks of institutions accepting GRE scores for MBA admissions. NYU Stern has followed a trend set by prestigious schools like Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, which all recognize the GRE as an equivalent alternative to the GMAT. Stern’s decision to accept GRE scores for its MBA program underscores a broader movement among elite business schools to diversify the pool of applicants and offer flexibility to those who may feel that the GRE is a better representation of their academic capabilities.

Upper Iowa University, located in the United States, requires GRE or GMAT scores from applicants to its graduate programs, particularly for those who do not meet certain academic thresholds. Specifically, applicants who have not achieved a 3.0 GPA from their most recent 60 semester credits or those with a cumulative GPA below 2.75 for all undergraduate coursework must submit GRE or GMAT scores to complete their application. This requirement ensures that applicants who may not meet the GPA standards have a standardized way to demonstrate their readiness for graduate-level study.

The University of Florida’s Graduate School is another U.S. institution that mandates GRE scores for admission to its graduate programs, including its MBA program. All applicants are required to submit GRE scores that meet the minimum criteria established by the program. This includes applicants with international credentials, who must also submit GRE scores regardless of the level of their prior education. The inclusion of the GRE in the admissions process reflects the school’s commitment to evaluating applicants from diverse academic backgrounds and ensuring that they have the necessary skills for success in their graduate studies.

In Italy, the University of Trento also uses the GMAT or GRE as part of its admissions process. The school employs these standardized tests to assess students' aptitude for management studies. As the University of Trento accepts applicants from a wide range of academic disciplines, the use of the GRE and GMAT helps ensure that all students are well-prepared for the rigors of the MBA program, regardless of their undergraduate background. This inclusivity allows for a broader range of applicants to be considered, especially those who may not have a business-oriented undergraduate degree but still show strong potential for success in business education.

In Singapore, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has one of the most globally recognized MBA programs. While NTU traditionally prefers the GMAT for admission to its MBA program, it also accepts GRE scores. Applicants must have at least two years of work experience and a bachelor's degree to be considered for admission. The inclusion of GRE scores as part of the admissions process allows NTU to cater to a wider pool of applicants, especially those who may have taken the GRE instead of the GMAT. For non-native English speakers, NTU also requires the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) to assess English proficiency if the applicant’s degree was not conducted entirely in English.

In China, the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University also accepts GRE scores for its competitive MBA program. Applicants who achieve strong GRE scores are given significant consideration for interviews, much like candidates who perform well on the GMAT or national exams. This demonstrates SAIF's recognition of the GRE as a credible measure of an applicant's qualifications for graduate-level business studies, allowing for a more diverse set of applicants from different educational backgrounds to be considered for admission.

The trend of business schools around the world accepting GRE scores for their MBA and graduate business programs is an exciting development for applicants, offering them more flexibility in choosing the standardized test that best suits their strengths and preferences. As the business education landscape continues to evolve, top institutions are increasingly adopting the GRE alongside the GMAT, recognizing that it is an effective tool for assessing an applicant's readiness for advanced business studies. By expanding access to graduate business education through the inclusion of the GRE, these schools are fostering a more inclusive and diverse academic environment that benefits both students and the institutions themselves.