Score Targets

Is a 320 GRE score good enough? A program-by-program look

A 320 GRE score sits at roughly the 88th percentile — comfortably in the “exceptional” range by most standards. Whether it's “good enough” depends entirely on what you're applying to, so here's a specific breakdown.

For most Master's programs: more than enough

A 320 is well above the median for the large majority of Master's programs, including most professional and terminal Master's degrees. At this level, the GRE is very unlikely to be a limiting factor in your application — other components will carry more weight in differentiating you from other strong applicants.

For PhD programs: strong, with some field-specific caveats

For most PhD programs, a 320 is at or above the median. The exception is highly quantitative fields — certain economics, engineering, or computer science PhD programs may have applicant pools where the Quant median alone approaches 165–167, meaning your Quant sub-score specifically matters more than the combined 320.

The split matters more than the total at this level

A 320 split as 165V/155Q reads very differently than 155V/165Q to a quantitative program — even though the total is identical. If you're at 320 and applying to a quant-heavy field, check whether your Quant score specifically meets that program's typical range, not just your combined score.

Is it worth retaking to push higher?

Above 320, additional points have rapidly diminishing returns for most programs — the jump from 320 to 325 rarely changes an admissions outcome the way the jump from 300 to 310 might. Unless a specific program's data suggests otherwise, a 320 is usually a good stopping point to redirect your energy toward other parts of the application.

Check your specific programs' section-level average scores, not just the combined total — especially if you're applying to a quantitative field.
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