The average GMAT score falls right around 555 on the current Focus Edition scale (205 to 805), which lands at roughly the 49th percentile. That means about half of all test-takers score above this mark and half score below. But “average” is only useful as a starting point. What really matters is how your score stacks up against the programs you’re targeting, and those benchmarks vary widely.
How the GMAT Score Scale Works
The GMAT Focus Edition, which replaced the older format, scores on a scale from 205 to 805 in 10-point increments. It tests three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights. Each section scores from 60 to 90, and those combine into your total score. The previous edition used a 200 to 800 scale, so if you see older score reports from schools, those numbers won’t line up exactly with the current format.
What Percentiles Tell You
Your percentile ranking shows what share of test-takers you outperformed. It’s the number admissions committees care about most because it puts your score in context regardless of which edition of the exam you took. Here’s how key score milestones break down on the Focus Edition:
- 705: 98th percentile
- 655: 91st percentile
- 605: 72nd percentile
- 555: 49th percentile
- 505: 28th percentile
- 455: 15th percentile
Notice the scoring isn’t evenly distributed. Moving from 555 to 605, a jump of just 50 points, pushes you from the 49th to the 72nd percentile. At the top, gains are harder to come by: climbing from 705 to 755 moves you only from the 98th to the 99.9th percentile. Most of the competitive separation happens in the 555 to 705 range.
Scores at Top MBA Programs
If you’re aiming for a highly ranked MBA program, the average admitted score is well above the global average. At the most selective schools in the U.S., admitted students on the prior 200-800 scale averaged between 730 and 740. On the current Focus Edition scale, competitive score ranges for these programs typically start around 635 and stretch to 805.
Here’s a sense of where the bar sits at well-known programs, based on GMAC data using 10th Edition averages and approximate current-scale equivalents:
- Harvard Business School: 740 median (old scale), current range roughly 515 to 805
- Stanford GSB: 738 average, current range roughly 525 to 805
- Kellogg (Northwestern): 733 average, current range roughly 585 to 785
- Booth (Chicago): 729 average, current range roughly 555 to 785
- MIT Sloan: 730 median, current range roughly 635 to 735
- Columbia Business School: 732 average, current range roughly 555 to 785
Those wide ranges are important. A school reporting an average of 730 still admits students scoring in the mid-600s (old scale) when the rest of their application is strong. Your GMAT score is one data point alongside your GPA, work experience, essays, and recommendations.
What Counts as a “Good” Score
A good score depends entirely on where you plan to apply. For the most elite programs, you generally want to land at or above the 90th percentile, which means roughly 655 or higher on the Focus Edition. For strong but less selective programs, scores in the 605 to 655 range (72nd to 91st percentile) are competitive. Many solid MBA programs admit students in the 555 to 605 range, especially when paired with compelling professional experience.
Programs outside the U.S. often have different thresholds. Top European schools like INSEAD and London Business School report admitted-student averages around 700 to 710 on the old scale, with current-scale ranges typically starting in the mid-500s to low 600s. Schools in Canada, Australia, and Asia frequently set minimums in the 555 to 615 range on the Focus Edition, though their most competitive applicants score well above those floors.
How Many Times People Take the GMAT
Many applicants take the GMAT more than once. You can take the exam up to five times within a rolling 12-month period, and schools generally consider your highest score. Because the percentile data from GMAC covers a five-year window of test-takers (July 2019 through June 2024), it smooths out year-to-year fluctuations and gives a stable benchmark.
Retaking the exam is common, and scores do tend to improve on a second attempt for most people. If your first score lands below your target program’s range, focused prep on your weakest section can make a meaningful difference. A 50-point improvement on the Focus Edition, say from 555 to 605, jumps you roughly 23 percentile points.
Where Your Score Fits In
Think of GMAT scores in three broad tiers. Below 505 (28th percentile) limits your options at most ranked MBA programs, though some part-time and executive programs are more flexible. Between 555 and 655 (49th to 91st percentile) puts you in the competitive range for a wide selection of well-regarded schools. Above 655 (91st percentile and up) makes you competitive at nearly any program in the world, assuming the rest of your application holds up.
The global average of 555 is just that: an average across every test-taker worldwide, including people who took the exam with minimal preparation or who are applying to programs with varying levels of selectivity. The average at any specific school you’re considering will almost certainly be higher. When benchmarking yourself, use the admitted-student data for your target programs rather than the overall average.