PhD Programs Without GRE for Indian Students 2026: 50+ Universities
GRE is now optional or waived at most top US PhD programs — MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, CMU, Cornell, Columbia, and dozens more dropped the requirement post-2020 and haven't brought it back. Here's the complete, verified list for 2026.
The GRE General Test has been waived or made permanently optional at the majority of top US PhD programs since 2020. What began as a COVID-era emergency measure became permanent policy for most departments — driven by research showing that GRE scores are weak predictors of PhD success and that they systematically disadvantage applicants from lower-resource backgrounds.
Why the GRE Was Dropped — and Why It's Not Coming Back
The turning point was a 2020 paper in PLOS ONE that analysed 10 years of admissions data at a top-10 US biology program and found that GRE scores predicted first-year PhD performance barely better than chance, while strongly correlating with applicant socioeconomic status and country of undergraduate institution. Multiple departments at Stanford, Michigan, Princeton, and Berkeley independently reached similar conclusions and dropped the requirement.
For Indian applicants, this is broadly positive news. The GRE Quantitative section was never a differentiation point — virtually all IIT/NIT graduates score 165+ with minimal preparation. The requirement that actually constrained Indian applicants was the Verbal section, where cultural and linguistic background disadvantaged non-native English speakers despite high English proficiency. With GRE gone, your actual research contribution becomes the primary evaluation signal.
Verified No-GRE Programs: Top 50 (2026)
US programs — GRE not required as of 2026:
- MIT: All STEM departments — GRE permanently waived
- Stanford: CS, EE, Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics — permanent waiver
- UC Berkeley: EECS, Chemistry, Bioengineering, Physics — permanent waiver
- Carnegie Mellon: All SCS departments (CS, ML, HCI, LTI, RI) — permanent waiver
- Caltech: All departments — permanent waiver
- Harvard: SEAS (CS, EE, Applied Math), Chemistry — permanent waiver
- Princeton: CS, EE, Chemistry, Physics — permanent waiver
- Yale: CS, Engineering, Chemistry — permanent waiver
- Cornell: CS, ECE, Applied Math, Chemical Engineering — permanent waiver
- Columbia: CS, SEAS departments — permanent waiver
- UIUC: CS, ECE, Mechanical Engineering — permanent waiver
- Georgia Tech: CS, ECE, ME — permanent waiver
- University of Washington: CS, EE, ME — permanent waiver
- UC San Diego: CS, ECE, Biology — permanent waiver
- UCLA: CS, EE, ME — permanent waiver
- Duke: CS, Biomedical Engineering, ECE — permanent waiver
- Johns Hopkins: CS, BME, ECE — permanent waiver
- Northeastern: CS, ECE — permanent waiver
- University of Michigan: CS, EE, ME — permanent waiver
- Purdue: ME, EE, CS — GRE optional (no preference stated)
- Plus 30+ other top programs — check departmental websites for current policy
Programs That Still Require GRE
A minority of US programs still require GRE scores, particularly in fields like mathematics, economics, and some life science programs. Always verify on the specific department's admissions page for the current cycle — policies change annually and the department page supersedes any third-party list.
If You're Taking GRE Anyway
If you're targeting the remaining programs that require GRE, or want to maximise your application for programs where it's optional: Quant 167+ (96th percentile) and Verbal 162+ (90th percentile) are the scores that add positive value. Below these thresholds, the test score is neutral at best. Preparation time: 4–6 weeks of focused study for most IIT/NIT graduates (the Quant section requires minimal preparation; Verbal and AWA require more work).
Check the current GRE policy for every program you apply to — it's in the FAQ section of the program's admissions page. PhD Tracker notes the GRE requirement status for all 60 universities in its database.
PhD Tracker shows GRE requirements alongside deadlines, stipends, and India-specific tips for 60 top universities. See which programs you can apply to right now without GRE.
View all universitiesFrequently Asked Questions
Which top US PhD programs don't require GRE in 2026?
As of 2026, GRE is not required at: MIT (all departments), Stanford (most departments), UC Berkeley (EECS, Chemistry, most STEM), Carnegie Mellon (SCS), Cornell (CS, ECE), Columbia (CS, SEAS), Princeton (CS, EE), Yale (CS), Duke (CS, Engineering), Georgia Tech (CS, ECE), UWashington (CS), UC San Diego (CS, ECE), UCLA (CS, ECE), Johns Hopkins (CS, Engineering), Northeastern (CS), and many more.
Should I still take the GRE if it's optional?
Only take the GRE if you expect to score in the top percentile (Quant 167+, Verbal 163+, AW 5.0+). A near-perfect GRE score adds a small positive signal; an average GRE score (Quant 160, Verbal 155) adds nothing and may raise concerns. If your score would be below the 90th percentile, skip the GRE and invest that preparation time in research experience instead.
Is GRE still required for UK or European PhD programs?
No. UK universities (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Edinburgh) have never required GRE scores for PhD admission. German, Dutch, Australian, and Canadian universities also do not require GRE. The GRE requirement was specific to US programs and is now largely obsolete even there.
What do PhD programs use instead of GRE for evaluation?
Without GRE scores, committees rely more heavily on: research experience (publications, conference papers, thesis work), letters of recommendation that describe research ability, the quality and specificity of your Statement of Purpose, and undergraduate GPA particularly in relevant courses. This shift generally favours Indian students who have strong research backgrounds from IITs, IISc, and other research-active institutions.