Remember the days of undergrad when you could apply to college undeclared and spend some time just experimenting and figuring things out? Good times. If only grad school applications were that flexible. If you’re taking the time to apply to graduate school, then you’ve already settled on an academic discipline and probably have a career goal in mind. And you’ll need to know the average GRE scores by major before you take the GRE, to make sure that you can compete with your fellow applicants.
Your grad school research will be much more targeted than your undergrad research was. Sure, you’ll probably still apply to a safety school and a reach school, but both of those schools should be known to have an excellent program in your discipline.
That was a lot really fast. Let’s back up a step.
Setting Your Goal GRE Score Based on Your Intended Major
Now that you’ve decided to go the extra mile and get your graduate degree, your field of potential programs is fairly narrow. Thus, it’s important to tailor your application towards your intended field of study. You are competing against the best of the best in your field: every aspect of your application counts. (Other aspects of your application might include: work experience, research and publications, volunteer experience, recommendation letters, personal essays, etc.)
On that note, know that each intended graduate major has a range of GRE scores that its accepted students tend to fit within. For example, math-heavy disciplines tend to favor higher quant scores and are often okay with lower than average verbal scores, whereas the opposite is true of Arts & Humanities programs. Many education-related programs only require the GRE as a formality (they don’t tend to look very highly upon standardized testing as a whole) and only require a minimum score on each section.
Each major and program is different, so it’s important to do your research before you start to prep for the GRE. Who knows — maybe you don’t need as high a score as you thought.
Determining Your Program Requirements
One great way to determine the requirements of your program is to ask the admissions office. They aren’t always forthcoming with this information, but you never know — some are actually very helpful, and most graduate programs have their own dedicated admissions staff. More than a few programs list averages or minimums on their admissions websites. Others can hook you up with a recently admitted student willing to answer your questions. It’s worth asking what’s available.
In addition to some program-specific admissions reconnaissance, check out the ETS’s Guide to the Use of Scores. This report provides data on the scores of recent GRE-takers who intend to major in various graduate disciplines. The detailed report states the percent of students in each intended discipline who scored within a certain range on each section of the GRE: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
It’s helpful to keep this data in mind as you prepare for the GRE and home in on your target score.
Average GRE Scores by Major
The tables below show average score data from the ETS’s most recent (2020) Guide to the Use of Scores report. The data in these tables reflect scores from the Revised GRE, wherein the lowest score you can get in Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative reasoning is 130 and the highest is 170. The Analytical Writing Assessment is scored on a scale from 0 to 6.
I always recommend trying to score above average in your intended graduate major. Depending on the competitiveness of your specific program, you should try to be in the 90th percentile or above. (If you’re looking at a top university, take a look at our GRE scores for top universities post.)
GRE Scores by Major
Use the links below to jump to the section that best fits your intended graduate major. If your field of study isn’t listed, then look at the field that most closely resembles your own. An easy way to think of this is to imagine that you’re filling out the personal information section of the GRE an are presented with the options below. Pick the option that is the best fit.
Average GRE Scores by Major
Without further ado, here are the estimated GRE scores by intended graduate major, grouped by program discipline:
Social Sciences
| Intended Graduate Major | Verbal Reasoning Mean | Quantitative Reasoning Mean | Analytical Writing Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOCIAL SCIENCES (Overall) | 153 | 151 | 3.9 |
| Anthropology & Archaeology | 155 | 149 | 4.0 |
| Economics | 154 | 160 | 3.8 |
| Political Science | 157 | 153 | 4.2 |
| Psychology | 152 | 149 | 3.9 |
| Sociology | 153 | 150 | 3.9 |
| Other | 152 | 149 | 3.8 |
Arts & Humanities
| Intended Graduate Major | Verbal Reasoning Mean | Quantitative Reasoning Mean | Analytical Writing Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARTS & HUMANITIES (Overall) | 156 | 150 | 4.1 |
| Arts - History, Theory, & Criticism | 157 | 151 | 4.1 |
| Arts - Performance & Studio | 153 | 151 | 3.7 |
| English Language & Literature | 157 | 149 | 4.2 |
| Foreign Languages & Literatures | 156 | 151 | 4.0 |
| History | 156 | 149 | 4.1 |
| Philosophy | 159 | 154 | 4.3 |
| Other | 157 | 152 | 4.1 |
Education
| Intended Graduate Major | Verbal Reasoning Mean | Quantitative Reasoning Mean | Analytical Writing Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDUCATION (Overall) | 151 | 148 | 3.8 |
| Administration | 151 | 148 | 3.7 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 151 | 149 | 3.8 |
| Early Childhood | 147 | 146 | 3.4 |
| Elementary | 149 | 147 | 3.7 |
| Evaluation & Research | 151 | 148 | 3.8 |
| Higher | 152 | 149 | 4.0 |
| Secondary | 154 | 151 | 4.0 |
| Special | 148 | 145 | 3.5 |
| Student Counseling & Personnel Services | 149 | 146 | 3.6 |
| Other | 152 | 151 | 3.8 |
Business
| Intended Graduate Major | Verbal Reasoning Mean | Quantitative Reasoning Mean | Analytical Writing Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUSINESS (Overall) | 151 | 154 | 3.6 |
| Accounting | 149 | 153 | 3.4 |
| Banking & Finance | 151 | 161 | 3.4 |
| Business Administration & Management | 151 | 152 | 3.7 |
| Other | 149 | 154 | 3.5 |
Other Fields
| Intended Graduate Major | Verbal Reasoning Mean | Quantitative Reasoning Mean | Analytical Writing Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture & Environmental Design | 150 | 155 | 3.5 |
| Communications & Journalism | 151 | 150 | 3.7 |
| Family & Consumer Sciences | 149 | 148 | 3.7 |
| Library & Archival Sciences | 157 | 149 | 4.0 |
| Public Administration | 153 | 150 | 3.8 |
| Religion & Theology | 158 | 151 | 4.2 |
| Social Work | 148 | 144 | 3.6 |
Scores by Program Breakdown
For a more detailed look at some of the above disciplines, check out the following Magoosh GRE posts:
- GRE Scores for Engineering Programs
- GRE Scores for Education Programs
- GRE Scores for Life Science Programs
- GRE Scores for Science Programs
- GRE Scores for Social Science Programs
- GRE Scores for Business Schools
- GRE Scores for Arts and Humanities Programs
- GRE Scores for the Best Universities
If you’re interested in seeing the GRE scores for each academic discipline in 2020, take a look at our GRE Scores Infographic! (Hint: the data hasn’t changed much.)
GRE Scores Resources
Check out the following links for more help preparing for the GRE:
- Magoosh Premium access
- Best GRE Books of 2019
- Complete Guide to the GRE eBook
- The Ultimate GRE Guide
- GRE Vocabulary eBook
- GRE Math Formula eBook
- 1000 Free Online Flashcards
- GRE Study Schedules
- Should you retake the GRE?
Good luck setting your goal score! Let us know if you have any questions. 🙂
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published by Chris Swimmer in August 2013 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
