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Every MBA hopeful knows that the GMAT is a difficult but defining step on the path to business school. What isn’t clear, however, is how high to shoot when it comes to a GMAT score. So, what exactly is a “good” or “great” GMAT score? As we’ll discuss, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of what a good GMAT score is. Of course, there are benchmarks that can help business school candidates determine a target score when engaging in GMAT study.
In this article, we’ll examine how business school admissions officers weigh the GMAT against other factors in an applicant’s profile. Then we’ll discuss how to figure out what scores your schools of choice will consider “good” or “great.” Finally, we’ll provide 5 Golden Rules for deciding whether to shoot for a good GMAT score or a great one.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of what a good GMAT score is.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Your GMAT Score Can Work for or Against You
- How Your GMAT Score Is Balanced With Other Factors
- The Influence of GMAT Score Percentiles
- How Good Is a Good Enough GMAT Score?
- How Business Schools View GMAT Section Score
- Key Takeaways: The 5 Golden Rules For Setting Your GMAT Score Goal
- What’s Next?
First, let’s look at how business schools use the GMAT to evaluate applicants.
Your GMAT Score Can Work for or Against You
Business schools generally take a holistic approach to evaluating their applicants. In other words, schools never take one factor in isolation when deciding whether to admit an applicant. Nevertheless, business schools typically regard the GMAT as a reliable predictor of a student’s ability to succeed in business school.
So, if your GMAT score falls toward the lower end of the school’s class profile, your GMAT score could become a red flag on your application. On the other hand, if your GMAT score is at or above the average score at your target school, then admissions will look at your application more favorably.
So, you can see how crucial a good score may be in convincing your dream school that you deserve admission. Your GMAT score is particularly important if you need to offset weak factors in your application or distinguish yourself among applicants with similar profiles. Let’s talk about those two scenarios now.
KEY FACT:
A good GMAT score may be crucial in convincing a school that you deserve admission.
How Your GMAT Score Is Balanced With Other Factors
In order to balance the overall class profile and form a diverse class, each business school has applicant profile quotas. Consequently, you will be competing with other applicants whose profiles are similar to yours. Some applicants, such as people employed in consulting or investment banking, are overrepresented in MBA applicant pools for some schools. So, such applicants typically need to earn higher GMAT scores to stand out among their peers.
An above-average GMAT score also can offset a GPA that is low for a particular school. Similarly, a good score could balance out poor performance in quant-specific undergraduate courses. On the other hand, if you have a below-average GMAT score for a particular school, you will need to demonstrate that you are “above average” in other areas of your application. Simply put, you’ll need to show admissions that you can cope with the school’s academic rigor. MBA admissions officers will look for other signs of academic proficiency, such as a stellar GPA or CPA/CA/CFA certification. These indicators may need to be quite strong if your GMAT score falls below your target school’s average.
Luckily, earning a competitive GMAT score is entirely within your control. If you work hard and study smart, your GMAT score can be a bright spot on your application.
KEY FACT:
MBA applicants in overrepresented groups typically need to earn higher GMAT scores to stand out among their peers.
Next, let’s discuss how GMAT score percentiles affect what schools consider a good score.
The Influence of GMAT Score Percentiles
As we’ve already seen, when it comes to GMAT scores, the definition of “good” varies between schools and between applicants. However, there is a general “good” score range, based on the GMAT percentiles associated with that range. These percentiles derive from the 5-year score data published by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Currently, this “good” score range is 595 to 635, or scores with a percentile ranking between 72% and 85%. As you’ll see, this range is significantly higher than the latest 5-year mean GMAT score of 546.01 (48th percentile).
Note that pre-2023 scores were converted according to the GMAT concordance tables. Thus, all scores in the following table are valid for determining percentiles for GMAT scores earned after October 2023.
So, a score of 615 is in the 80th percentile, which means that 20% of test-takers scored higher than you. As we can see, a score such as 615 is much higher than the 5-year mean and is thus considered “good.” However, that score may or may not be good enough when viewed in light of your overall applicant profile or your target school’s average or median score.
KEY FACT:
The definition of a good GMAT score varies, but a score between 595 and 635 is generally considered good.
So, exactly how good does your GMAT score need to be for you to stand out among your peers? Let’s take a look.
How Good Is a Good Enough GMAT Score?
In general, a good GMAT score is one that is equal to your target school’s median or average score. A great GMAT score is one that exceeds the school’s median or average. Another useful rule of thumb for ensuring that your GMAT score will be “good enough” for admission to your target school is to aim for “the middle 80%.”
KEY FACT:
In general, a good GMAT score equals and a great score exceeds your target school’s median or average score.
Let’s now examine GMAT scores at some top U.S. business schools.
GMAT Scores at Top Business Schools
Below is a chart of GMAT score data for some top U.S. business schools for the Class of 2025. Use it to see the GMAT score you might need for admission to an elite school. The chart includes the median, mean, and score range for each school, where available. Keep in mind that these scores are approximate. The scores in the table derive from the concordance tables mentioned earlier.
The “middle 80%” data for MIT Sloan denotes the range within which the majority of students in the class scored. In other words, 10% of the class scored higher than that range, and 10% scored lower.
| GMAT Scores for Top Business Schools: Class of 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Institution | Average GMAT Score | Range of Scores |
| Harvard Business School | 655 median 675 mean | 485 – 795 |
| UPenn Wharton | 675 mean | NA |
| MIT Sloan | 675 median | 645 – 735 (middle 80%) |
| Northwestern Kellogg | 675 | 575 – 785 |
| Columbia | 675 mean | 565 – 795 |
| Chicago Booth | 675 mean 675 median | 555 – 785 |
So, What Score Is Good?
So, which end of the spectrum should you aim for? Let’s say that you’re planning to apply to MIT Sloan, where the average undergraduate GPA is 3.6. If your GPA is below 3.6, you’ll want a GMAT score closer to 735. Likewise, if your application falls a bit short in some area — perhaps your work experience is below the class average — you’ll want to be at the higher end of the range.
On the other hand, if your overall profile is strong, a score around Sloan’s average of 675 might look solid. If your GMAT score is at the lower end of the range, the rest of your application will need to be strong to assure MBA admissions officers that you’ve got what it takes to excel in the program.
Also, you can apply this logic to score ranges at schools that don’t disclose the middle 80%. For example, Northwestern Kellogg’s GMAT score range is 575 to 785, with an average of 675. If you have weak points in your application, you’ll know that you want a higher-than-average GMAT score. By looking at the class range, you can get a better sense of how high you may need to score.
Does the range indicate that if your GPA is below average, you must score 785 to gain acceptance? No, of course not. But, depending on how many weak points you have, you may want to shoot for a score closer to 785.
TTP PRO TIP:
Use the middle 80% score range as a guide for determining a competitive GMAT score at your target schools.
A Great GMAT Score
Let’s say that your application is generally strong and you don’t have particular weak points that you’re hoping to offset. In that case, MBA admissions officers at your target school would likely view a score that just beats the median or average GMAT score as “great.”
For example, if you are applying to Chicago Booth, then any score greater than 675 would be a great GMAT score, as it exceeds both the median and the average scores of 675. However, if you’re applying to Harvard, where the median and average scores are 655 and 675, respectively, then 675 would be a “good” GMAT score, and a score greater than 675 would be great.
KEY FACT:
In general, a great GMAT score is one that beats the median or average score of admitted students at the schools you’re interested in.
Next, let’s take a look at how business schools tend to consider individual section scores on the GMAT.
How Business Schools View GMAT Section Scores
Your scores on the 3 sections of the GMAT — Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights — contribute equally to your total score. If you underperform in any section, there is a good chance that you won’t be satisfied with your total score.
Of course, your best bet is to spend sufficient time preparing for each section. However, if you hope to earn a high GMAT score, it’s no secret that top business schools are highly quant-driven. Many top-ranked MBA programs pride themselves on the quantitative nature of their courses. So, such programs place particular emphasis on the Quant section of the GMAT, preferring to see scores of Q79+.
However, to earn a good or a great GMAT score, you can’t spend all your time on your Quant preparation. GMAT Verbal is no walk in the park! To get a great total score, you need to achieve a great Verbal score.
The revised Integrated Reasoning section, now called Data Insights (DI), includes both Quantitative and Verbal questions. Notably, some schools now consider DI to be the most important of your section scores. Thus, you cannot overlook its importance.
KEY FACT:
Many business schools highly value Quantitative scores, but all 3 GMAT sections contribute equally to your total score.
Now, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the factors that determine “good” and “great” GMAT scores. Additionally, you may still be wondering what score is good enough for you. Not to worry! The following 5 “golden rules” can help keep you on track as you set your score goal.
Key Takeaways: The 5 Golden Rules For Setting Your GMAT Score Goal
Golden Rule 1: A GMAT score that is equal to your target school’s median or average score is a good GMAT score.
Golden Rule 2: A GMAT score that is higher than your target school’s median or average score is a great GMAT score.
Golden Rule 3: If your GMAT score is below your target school’s average score, you should consider retaking the GMAT before applying.
Golden Rule 4: Aim to score within a school’s middle 80% score range. If there are weak points in your profile, aim for the upper end of that range.
Golden Rule 5: If you come from an overrepresented group, aim for a great GMAT score to distinguish yourself from your competition.
What’s Next?
In this article, we have discussed what a good or great GMAT score is, based on GMAT scores of students admitted to top business programs in the U.S. To learn more about earning a good or great score, read this article about the GMAT scoring system.
Happy studying!
