I’ve written a lot about GRE scores for top universities lately and have gotten more than a little flack from Magoosh founder, Bhavin, for not having written up the same for his alma mater and our local university just down the street, UC Berkeley. Cal, as it’s affectionately known around here (and the world, I guess), is more than just an amazing campus in the booming and buzzing San Francisco Bay area, it’s one of the toughest schools to get into in the whole country.
Naturally there’s a lot that goes into cracking the tough nut of Berkeley admissions, and the GRE is simply one of those factors. But what score do you need to get in?
Average GRE Scores for UC Berkeley – Engineering and Education
If you’re applying to UC Berkeley Engineering or Education programs, you’re in luck: these are among the few programs that report exact GRE scores of admits to US News & World Report. Here’s the US News & World Report data on the Engineering and Education programs at UC Berkeley:
Program | Average Verbal | Average Quantitative |
---|---|---|
Engineering – Master’s | 157 | 165 |
Engineering – PhD | 160 | 166 |
Education – Master’s | 155 | 155 |
Education – PhD/EdD | 157 | 159 |
For Engineering, the Verbal scores are in the 75th and 82nd percentiles and the Quantitative scores are in the 85th and 87th. For Education, the percentile ranks are 67th/75th and 55th/69th, respectively.
Estimating UC Berkeley GRE Scores in Other Disciplines
Based on UC Berkeley’s GRE scores in Education and Engineering, combined with their program ranks, we’re able to extrapolate GRE information about other Berkeley programs! Below is an estimated range of scores you could expect from Berkeley’s ranked programs.
Program | US News Rank | Estimated Verbal Range | Estimated Quantitative Range |
---|---|---|---|
Biological Sciences | 3 | 158-162 | 160-164 |
Chemistry | 1 | 158-162 | 164-168 |
Computer Science | 1 | 156-160 | 169-170 |
Earth Sciences | 3 | 159-163 | 161-165 |
Economics | 4 | 160-164 | 169-170 |
English | 1 | 162-166 | 157-161 |
Fine Arts | 15 | 159-163 | 154-158 |
History | 1 | 161-165 | 156-160 |
Mathematics | 3 | 159-163 | 170 |
Physics | 3 | 161-165 | 168-170 |
Political Science | 4 | 162-166 | 161-165 |
Psychology | 1 | 157-161 | 156-160 |
Public Administration | 4 | 159-163 | 159-163 |
Social Work | 5 | 155-159 | 153-157 |
Sociology | 1 | 159-163 | 158-162 |
Resources to get the GRE Scores You’ll Need for UC Berkeley
Check out the following links for more help preparing for the GRE:
Notes About Comments
While I’d love to give everyone some kind of hard and fast number for your chances (it’s a nerve wracking, opaque experience, I know), I unfortunately can’t. This is because there are numerous factors involved in the admissions decisions and most of those factors aren’t the GRE. The best I can do is tell you below/at/above the score range, but that information you can see for yourself above. My universal recommendation is that you check where you stand compared to the tables above. Then have a look at the forums to see student experiences. Good luck! 🙂
Comments
29 responses to “UC Berkeley GRE Scores”
Hey. I just got my GRE scores. I want to go to CAL for the JSP program, which is linked with their law and sociology program. There is very little information about successful candidates for that program, and I was hoping you might have some more information. I got a 164-V and only a 150- Q (total of 314, with a 4.0- A)…I know that the Quantitative scores are low, but this was my second time taking the GRE, and I lost a point on Q while gaining points on A and V sections. So I know that this about as good as its going to get. I would really appreciate an honest opinion (if you have any further info on this issue) regarding my chances. PS -I have a law degree from a tier 2 school and graduated top 20%. I was also summa cum laude with 4.0/4.0 GPA in undergrad…
Hey Kat! Unfortunately I’m not very familiar with that program. My best advice is to check similar programs or programs that would require similar strengths (is it a quant heavy program?, etc) and go from there. Then ask around and try to get as much info as you can from people who have applied in the past.
Chris S
What are my chances at UCLA,USC and Stanford?
Hey again – my advice is the same. Your numbers are good, but remember these are competitive programs and a lot goes into the decisions. Just find a way to stand out. 🙂
hiii my gre score is 316 quant-164 english-152 (DEPT-ECE)
toefl-108
cgpa-7.5/10
i want to do my MS in robotics
i have done decently enough projects relating to robotics and have participated in many international level tech fests. Please suggest me a college that suits my requirements and also my score
thanks in advance
Hey Sahitya!
I’d check out the US News list I posted above and start researching which schools are pursuing your interests. That’s the best starting point. 🙂
Chris S
Hi Chris
I’ve just given GRE a few hrs ago. I really wanna go to Cal for MIS. I’ve got 321(V 155, Q 166). I’ve got exp of more than 3 yrs in one of the leading Indian IT companies. My GPA is 3.75/4.00. What are my chances?
Regards
Gaurav
Hey Gaurav! Your scores likely make the cut, just keep in mind that there are a lot of factors involved when deciding an application, making it impossible to determine chances. Just make sure the rest of your application shines. 🙂
Chris S
I took GRE in Nov 2011 and my scores are 154-v(62 %le), 162-q (84 %le). The percentile scores are in conformance with the mentioned percentile scores, while they are not with absolute score range. Would it be wise to go ahead with these scores for applying to ‘MS in data science’ open program OR shall I retake GRE?
I have 6+ years of industry experience with considerable industry research experience (do not have published papers but have a patent registered at USPTO).
Please advise.
Hey Sushant! I’ll say that your scores are likely in the good-enough range, though that will only account for a small portion of the application. If you have time to retake and you think you’d do substantially better, then go for it, but otherwise, I’d focus on the rest of your application. 🙂
Chris S
My GRE score is 166-Q 164-V, I majored in Electrical (CS Minor ) , My GPA is 3.6 from Top most University of My country (Pakistan) and I have been involved in research in my junior and senior year. I currently work as a research assistant at the same university. Besides this I have been actively involved in extra curriculars and chaired many organizations and societies. Do I have a chance in Berkeley ?
Hey Muhammad! I’d say you definitely have a chance. Remember competition is tough for these programs so remember to stand out the best you can where you can. 🙂
Chris S
Hi,
I am planning on applying for the CS program at UC Berkeley.
My GRE score is 316 (153v & 163q), AWA – 4.5
Toefl – Awaited
1 international research paper in an ACM SIGSPATIAL (Special Interest Group) Conference.
1 paper awaiting review by a Springer’s Elsevier Journal.
7 projects based on AI or Big Data Analysis.
Should I consider applying for Stanford, MIT, CMU, UCLA etc. based on this profile?
Thanks.
Hey Saajan! Your profile puts you in a decent position for the applications, though the Quant may be on the low side. Of course it’s impossible to say!
Chris S
Hi,
I am planning to apply for masters program in engineering in US.
I have prepared an tentative list of the universities:
UC Berkley
CMU — Robotics
UT Austin
Upenn
MIT — Aero aestro
Academic background:
1) I have an GRE score of 153(verbal) and 158(quant)
2) I have an GPA of 3.7/4 and among the top 3 in my colloge and top 8% of my university.
3) I have 1 internship in DRDO(Defence research and development organization)
and an ressearch project again in DRDO(related to robotics).
4) I have an paper publication about my research project and another one in que.
Kindly let me know if have any chances of making into these universities
Hey! It all depends, so you should reach out to the programs and see how they weight the various portions of the applications. It all varies by program. 🙂
Best,
Chris S
Hi,
I have a GRE score of 316(Q-165 and V-151). I hope the verbal score won’t be a problem considering I’m from non-english speaking country.
I have a GPA of ~8.25/10 and 2yrs of work experience in a well established MNC.
I did undergrad in Electronics but the 2yrs of experience is in computers/software field and I am doing good there.
I would like to know what are my chances for MS in Computers at UC-Berkeley and will I face any problem because of my non-CS undergrad background. If yes, then what can be done as a solution to it?
Can you also suggest what are the other top universities where I should apply?
Thanks
Hey Manoj! I recommend checking around on the forums and reaching out to the programs directly since there’s so much that goes into applications. 🙂 Good luck!
Best,
Chris S
Hello!!
Am an undergraduate student pursuing B tech in Chemical Engineering. I’m planning on MS (Chem Engg) in UC Berkeley. Please let me know the average GPA or CGPA scores of the admitted students. Also please state other factors (if any) apart from GRE scores n CGPA that are essential for admission.
Thank You.
Hey Narahari! For that info, I’d recommend that you check out the US News report on graduate admission. You’ll be able to find a wealth of information there. 🙂
Best,
Chris S
Hey!! i really want to study in University of California ,Berkeley! i am really love their research in communications and networking!i am from my gre: 157v and 161 q with 4 awa.TOEFL-114. i have done quite a few projects in communication. i have published 2 papers. And i have done courses from TIFAC -CORE .I have done 3 internships. i have a long list of co-curricular activities.After my master’s i wish to puruse Ph.D and come back to India and start my research center.Do i have a chance? i am from Vellore institute of Technology,India.Also Stanford is out of my league? should i drop this year and re take GRE and apply for next fall.
Hey Raghava! Sounds like you have a solid plan in order! Good luck!
Best,
Chris S
Hello!
I just got the following score in GRE:
Verbal 163
Quant 157
WIll this score see me into a place like perhaps UC Berkeley, or must I retake the test? Or will it be foolish to send these scores along with my application and simply hope for the best?
Regards,
Chetan
Hey Chetan! It really depends on the program you’re interested in. As you can see above, it varies across programs! I’d use the table above as a guide. 🙂
Best,
Chris S
Hi,
Regarding the reported average scores, are these the average scores for those admitted or for those who applied?
Hey Kevin! These scores are based on admitted students, which is a much better indicator. 🙂
Best,
Chris S
I am pretty sure that in order to get into Caltech you need a much higher score than the average posted above. In fact, I would really doubt those average numbers. I know someone who had a 163 on verbal and 167 on math and they got into MIT and not Caltech. Other factors were also good: he had a good GPA from a top school and 10 research pubs.
I mean for engineering.
Hey Sharjeel! First off, this post is referencing UC Berkeley, not Caltech. Two different schools. Secondly, remember that these scores are just estimates, not hard and fast. Just doing the best I can with what the schools release. Thirdly, remember that GRE scores aren’t the only thing that schools consider, so while one person may have been rejected with a 167 in math, I bet you someone with a 164 or 165 got in. There’s a lot that goes into admissions reviewing.
Best,
Chris S