GRE Scores for PhD Admission in USA: What Indian Engineering Students Need (2026)
Most GRE score guides are written for US undergrads. This one is for Indian engineering students — with real admission data, field-by-field breakmarks, and the updated list of which top programs still require GRE in 2026.
The GRE landscape for US PhD admissions has changed more in the past 4 years than in the previous two decades. COVID-era policy changes, followed by data showing GRE scores don't predict PhD success, led to a wave of program eliminations — and in 2026, the picture is field-specific and confusing. This guide cuts through that confusion for Indian engineering students.
Which US PhD Programs Still Require GRE in 2026?
The fastest-moving situation is in STEM. As of Fall 2026 admissions (the most recent cycle), here is the current state by field:
Computer Science PhD — GRE status:
- MIT CSAIL: GRE not required, not recommended
- Stanford CS: GRE test optional (rarely submitted, rarely considered)
- CMU SCS: GRE not required
- Berkeley EECS: GRE not required
- Cornell CS: GRE optional
- UT Austin CS: GRE not required
- UIUC CS: GRE not required
- Summary: GRE has been effectively dropped at all top-10 CS programs. Submitting a strong score doesn't help; a weak score doesn't hurt (if you submit it).
Electrical Engineering PhD — GRE status:
- MIT EECS: GRE not required
- Stanford EE: Test optional
- Georgia Tech ECE: GRE not required
- Purdue ECE: GRE optional
- UT Austin ECE: GRE not required
- Summary: Similar to CS — GRE largely optional or eliminated at top EE programs.
Mechanical & Chemical Engineering PhD — GRE status:
- Most top MechE and ChemE programs have also dropped GRE requirements
- Exception: Some interdisciplinary engineering programs still recommend scores
- Stanford MechE: Test optional; MIT MechE: Not required
- Caltech: GRE not required for most programs
Programs where GRE is still expected or required:
- Economics PhD programs: GRE Quant 165+ is effectively required; most top econ programs still require it and use it as a significant filter
- Some Psychology and Neuroscience PhD programs: GRE still widely required
- Some interdisciplinary programs (Biophysics, Computational Biology at select schools): Still require GRE
- Some older or less research-intensive programs that haven't updated policies
- Action: Check each individual program's admissions FAQ. If GRE is required, take it seriously.
GRE Benchmarks for Indian Engineering Applicants
For programs that still require GRE, here are the realistic benchmarks based on publicly reported admission data and community reports from r/gradadmissions and GradCafe:
GRE Quant benchmarks by program tier (engineering):
- Top 10 programs (MIT, Stanford, CMU, Berkeley, Caltech): Most admitted Indian students report 166–170Q. The floor is around 163–165Q
- Top 11–25 programs (Georgia Tech, Purdue, Michigan, UIUC): Admitted range roughly 163–170Q; mean around 166Q
- Top 26–50 programs (Penn State, UMass, Ohio State, NC State): Admitted range 160–168Q; more variation
- Top 51–100 programs: Admitted range broader (155–168Q); research fit matters more than score here
GRE Verbal benchmarks (engineering applicants):
- Top 10 programs: Mean around 155–162V for engineering admits; much lower weight than Quant
- Most programs: 150V is typically sufficient for engineering fields
- Note: Low Verbal score (<145) can trigger concern for non-native English speakers — but your IELTS/TOEFL score compensates
Analytical Writing (AW) benchmarks:
- Most admitted engineering students score 3.5–4.5 AW
- 4.0 is a common minimum expectation; 5.0 is rare and not meaningfully better than 4.5
- AW is rarely a decision factor for engineering PhDs unless it's unusually low (<3.0)
How Much Does GRE Actually Matter for Indian PhD Applicants?
Multiple faculty surveys and admissions committee discussions indicate that GRE is used as a threshold filter, not a ranking mechanism. At programs that still use GRE, a high score does not compensate for weak research experience — but a low score (below the threshold) can get your file screened out before a human reads it.
For Indian engineering students specifically, the Quant score is effectively a non-differentiator at the top of the range. A 170Q is identical to a 166Q in terms of admissions impact. The difference in time investment between scoring 162Q and 170Q is roughly 3–4 weeks of intensive preparation — time that could instead go toward a conference paper or a substantive research project that will have far more impact.
Recommended preparation strategy for Indian engineering students:
- First: verify whether each of your target programs actually requires GRE. If none do, skip this entirely.
- If required: target 165Q+ with 3–4 weeks focused preparation. Magoosh and Manhattan Prep are widely used; official ETS practice tests are essential.
- Quantitative: Indian engineering students typically score 164–170 without extensive preparation. Focus on question types you miss; don't over-prepare what you already know.
- Verbal: 150–155 is adequate for engineering. Spend 1–2 weeks on vocabulary and reading comprehension strategies; don't aim for 165+.
- AW: Practice 2–3 essays with templates. Target 4.0; don't spend more than 3–4 days here.
- Total preparation time: 3–5 weeks for most Indian engineering graduates. More is diminishing returns.
If Your Program Doesn't Require GRE — What to Do Instead
The time and mental bandwidth freed by not needing GRE preparation should go directly into the parts of your application that matter most. In order of impact for Indian engineering PhD applicants:
- 1Research experience — add a substantive project, conference paper, or research contribution. This is the single highest-leverage improvement you can make.
- 2Professor outreach — personalized emails to target faculty, referencing specific papers. Confirmed interest from a professor dramatically improves admission chances.
- 3SOP quality — invest the time saved into 3–5 additional SOP revision cycles. A great SOP makes a strong application; a generic SOP makes a forgettable one.
- 4LOR preparation — brief your recommenders with specific research anecdotes they can cite. A research-specific LOR is worth more than any test score.
Tracking multiple PhD applications? Use PhD Tracker to manage GRE submission status, IELTS scores, and test requirements per program — alongside your full application pipeline.
Track your applications freeFrequently Asked Questions
Is GRE required for PhD in USA in 2026?
It depends on the program and field. Most Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering PhD programs at top US universities dropped the GRE requirement post-COVID and have not reinstated it. However, Economics PhD programs, some Chemistry programs, and select interdisciplinary programs still require GRE. Always check the specific program's current admissions page — do not assume.
What GRE score do I need for a top 20 US PhD program?
For programs that still require GRE: Quant 165+ (94th percentile) is competitive at most top-20 engineering programs. Verbal 155+ is typically sufficient; AW (analytical writing) 4.0+ is standard. For Economics PhD programs, Quant 167–170 is typical among admitted students. However, the GRE is increasingly a threshold rather than a differentiator — a perfect 170Q helps very little if your research experience is weak.
How important is GRE for Indian PhD applicants vs research experience?
Research experience is far more important than GRE in 2026. An Indian applicant with a 163Q GRE and two conference papers will consistently out-place one with 170Q and no research experience. Admissions committees describe GRE as a signal they use to screen out outliers (very low scores), not to rank qualified candidates. Spend proportionally more time on research experience, SOP, and LOR quality.
What is a good GRE score for Indian engineers applying to MS vs PhD?
For MS programs: Quant 160+ is usually competitive; some strong programs admit with 155–160 alongside other strengths. For PhD programs: the bar is higher (165+) at top programs, but many mid-tier programs (ranked 30–60) have similar score profiles as MS programs. The difference at the PhD level is that research experience matters proportionally more, making GRE a smaller differentiator.