GMAT/GRE and GPA play important roles in the MBA Admission process. You must study the Median and Mean scores of your target schools. 

In this in-depth research of the GMAT, GRE, and GPA Score list for the top 70 MBA programs, we cover:

• Top US MBA Programs - GMAT Score Change (2024 vs. 2023 vs. 2022)
• Pattern - GMAT Scores
• Asian and European Schools – Lower GMAT Entry Criteria
• Origin of GPA (Grade Point Average)
• GPA Inflation (History)
• GPA less than 2.5 – Low GPA Success Stories
• Why GPA is Important
• MBA with 3.2 GPA and Above
• GPA Conversion Tool
• GPA – What is the cut-off score for MBA Admissions?
• GMAT Score Conversion (GMAT Focus Edition)

Top US MBA Programs - GMAT Score Change (2024 vs. 2023)

Before diving into the complete list of GMAT scores for top US MBA programs, let’s look at how they’ve shifted over the past year. 

Wharton saw the most notable drop among the US Schools, with its GMAT score decreasing by 6 points. Meanwhile, Stanford and Harvard maintained their high scores, with Harvard continuing its impressive 740 average. 

Schools like Kellogg and NYU Stern experienced slight increases, indicating a steady rise in competitiveness. 

Chicago Booth remained unchanged at 730, while Tuck experienced a minor 1-point increase. 

LBS saw a significant drop, decreasing by 10 points from the previous year.

Pattern – GMAT Scores

Top 10 Schools

The median GMAT scores for the top 10 schools remain competitive, with schools like Harvard (740) and Stanford (738) leading the pack. A GMAT score in the 730-740 range is essential to remain competitive. Scores below 720 require significant differentiation through exceptional achievements, diverse experiences, or measurable impact beyond traditional extracurricular activities.

Beyond the Top 10

For schools ranked outside the top 10 but within the top 20, the median GMAT range is 680-730, with many schools falling between 710-720. Achieving a score within this range can enhance your chances, especially if paired with strong academics and leadership experience.

Asian And European Schools – Lower GMAT Entry Criteria 

European and Asian business schools, such as HEC Paris (690), Oxford Said (680), and Hong Kong UST (660), tend to have lower average GMAT scores, typically ranging from 660 to 680. The newly introduced GMAT Focus Edition is gaining traction here, with schools like Cambridge Judge (595) and Warwick (615) publishing GMAT Focus scores for 2024. 
 

Related: F1GMAT Premium Insight: GMAT Trends - 2024 vs 2023 vs. 2022 vs. 2021

Anything below 720 requires considerable diversity of experience, achievements, and measurable impact that is outside the traditional contributions in extra-curricular.

Outside the top ten, the rest of the top 20 schools have an achievable 680 to 728 range, with a large number of schools requiring scores in the 710 to 720 range.

Origin of GPA (Grade Point Average)

International students wonder how GPA became a ubiquitously American phenomenon. If you want to blame someone for starting a 4.0 scale, you should go back 200 years, when Ezra Tiles, the President of Yale, in her 1785 diary, divided the examination performance into four groups: “Twenty Optimi, Sixteen second Optimi, 12 Inferiores (Boni) and Ten Pejores." It was not until in Yale’s Records of Examination (1813) that a 4.0 GPA scale was formalized. 

In 1830 and 1837, when Harvard played with a 20 point and a 100-point scale respectively, Yale tried to test with a 9.0 point scale, which the institution later switched back to the 4.0 GPA. Combining the grading, GPA, and percentage into a unified evaluation system took time. 

It was not until 1897 when Mount Holyoke assigned grade to each percentage range. 

A:95% and above
B:90% to 94%
C:85% to 90%
D:80% to 84%
E:75% to 79%

This later switched to A:4.0, B:3.0, C:2.0, D: 1.0 (GPA mapped to grading) 

Although a GPA on a scale of 4.0 is a US guideline, some schools tend to convert international students’ grades or percentages into an equivalent 4.0 scale based on their university’s grading range. Many schools explicitly mention that their Average GPA is based on US candidates. 

The Columbia GPA Convertor is a useful tool if the school you are targeting is converting your grades to GPA equivalent. 

GPA – What is the cut-off score for MBA Admissions?

European schools tend not to publish GPA scores as their incoming class comprises over 80% non-US applicants. 

Our research also shows that the majority of GPA scores of top MBA programs range between 3.5 and 3.77.

Emory University Goizueta has the highest average GPA score for the entering class at 3.89, even higher than M7 MBA programs.

There is no minimum GPA score, but if your score falls below 3.3, it becomes extremely difficult to get into a premier Business School. Of course, there are exceptions, and the admission team will look at your application holistically if you have interesting work experience or extracurricular. Seek our opinion to find whether your profile is unique with the below-par GMAT or GPA score.

GMAT Score Conversion (GMAT Focus Edition)

New Score Scale

The GMAT Exam (Focus Edition) introduces a revised Total Score scale ranging from 205 to 805, compared to the 200 to 800 scale of the GMAT Exam (10th Edition). This change helps distinguish scores between editions and aligns with the evolving, global test-taking population.

Key Findings
•    A score of 645 on the GMAT Focus Edition is equivalent to a 700 on the GMAT 10th Edition.
•    Although scores may appear lower in the Focus Edition, schools account for this and prioritize percentile rankings when evaluating candidates.

Percentile Rankings

Percentile rankings reflect how your performance compares to others, indicating the percentage of test-takers you outperformed. For example, a 75th percentile rank means you scored higher than 75% of test-takers.

What the GMAT Measures

The GMAT Focus Edition evaluates higher-order reasoning and data literacy skills, essential for success in business management programs. Scores are derived from Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights, equally contributing to the Total Score.

For accurate comparisons, refer to percentile rankings or use official concordance tables to map scores between the editions.

Top MBA - GMAT and GPA (2025)

Reference

• A History of Grading (The Educational Forum. Spring 1993. Mark W Durm) 
• History of GPA Inflation