# Good GMAT Score for M7 and Top-20 MBAs in 2026 | topin On this page ## Read this school-score table without mixing scales or years This comparison covers the M7 and 13 other US MBA programmes often considered alongside them in top-20 shortlists. It is a practical set of 20 programmes, not a claim that one ranking places exactly these schools in its top 20\. Rankings use different methods and change; your programme choice should also consider career goals and fit. Every numerical GMAT class benchmark below comes from a school’s own class-profile page, official profile announcement or school-hosted profile document. We use the current 205–805 scale, often still labelled GMAT Focus in profiles. We do not [convert classic averages](/articles/gmat-score-converter) into invented current averages, and we do not fill gaps with rankings data or admissions-consultancy estimates. Class of 2027 usually refers to the two-year MBA cohort entering in 2025\. It is distinct from the 2026–27 application cycle for a later graduating class. Columbia’s source is labelled entering 2025 and combines January and August entrants; that cohort label is preserved instead of treating every entrant as having an identical graduation schedule. An average and a median answer different questions. An average uses every included score; a median is the central value in the included distribution. Schools also vary in whether they report a full range or a middle-80% range. Missing entries mean a comparable figure was not verified in the sources checked, not that the school has no requirement or no students using that route. ## M7 current-scale GMAT scores for the Class of 2027 The M7 table provides directly reported central statistics and preserves the range definition. Booth publishes both a 670 average and a 675 median; HBS and MIT publish medians of 685 and 675 respectively. Stanford, Wharton and Kellogg report averages, so a column of superficially similar numbers is not a uniform ranking of admissions difficulty. Stanford’s official class-profile page links an embedded testing chart that reports 689 as the current-format average. That resolves the 689-versus-698 conflict for this cohort: 689 is supported by the school’s linked chart, while 698 was not verified as a Class of 2027 current-scale statistic. The separately published classic average should not be substituted for it. Wharton’s current-format average is 676, taken from the actual statistic in its profile rather than a rendered counter that can appear as zero before loading. Kellogg’s own Class of 2027 announcement gives 687\. MIT’s official factsheet reports the Class of 2027 median as 675 and notes that its profile includes Leaders for Global Operations students. The policy column summarises current application instructions, rather than historical Class of 2027 waiver usage. It is deliberately specific: Booth has a UChicago eligibility exception, Columbia accepts the Executive Assessment, and MIT currently requires GMAT or GRE. Neither “all M7 schools waive tests” nor “none ever have exceptions” is an accurate replacement for checking the programme. __Official current-scale profiles: Class of 2027, or entering 2025 as labelled; policy checked separately; last checked 4 October 2026__ | School | Current GMAT statistic | Published current range | GRE submission share | Current test/waiver context | | ----------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Harvard Business School | Median 685 | Middle 80%: 645–735 | 44% | GMAT/GRE listed in application requirements | | Stanford GSB | Average 689 | Not verified | Not verified on school chart | GMAT/GRE required; EA not accepted | | Wharton | Average 676 | Not verified | Not verified | GMAT/GRE required | | Chicago Booth | Average 670; median 675 | Middle 80%: 615–725 | 42% | Optional for current UChicago undergraduates or UChicago graduates; otherwise required | | Kellogg | Average 687 | Not verified in announcement | Not verified | Single-sitting GMAT/GRE required | | MIT Sloan | Median 675 | Middle 80%: 645–735 | Not verified | GMAT/GRE required for current full-time application | | Columbia, entering 2025 | Average 690 | Reported range: 615–805 | Not verified | GMAT, GRE or EA required | ## Thirteen more MBA programmes: verified numbers and visible gaps Outside the M7, the directly published current-format statistics span different benchmarks. Ross reports an average of 681; Tuck reports 671; NYU Stern reports 682\. Yale and Haas publish medians of 675\. Darden supplies both a 671 average and a 665 median. Those differences should remain visible in your shortlist rather than being flattened into one supposed “top-20 minimum”. A range is context, not a set of eligibility boundaries. A middle-80% range excludes the lowest and highest tenths of the included scores; a full reported range does not. Haas publishes a lower middle-80% boundary of 637\. That is a statistical boundary as printed, rather than an attainable individual GMAT score. We keep the school’s figure instead of silently rounding it to 635. The live Duke, UCLA and Kelley profile pages had already moved to Class of 2028 when checked. Their newer numbers are useful for another comparison, but they do not answer this article’s Class of 2027 question. Cornell’s checked Class of 2027 recruiting profile provides a GMAT statistic without a verified current-scale split. We therefore leave its comparable current figure unfilled. These gaps are preferable to false completeness. If one of those programmes is central to your shortlist, look for a school-issued historical profile or request the relevant cohort information from admissions. Until then, do not treat a converted classic figure or a newer cohort’s average as the Class of 2027 current-format benchmark. __Other programmes in this 20-school comparison; current-scale Class of 2027 data only; last checked 4 October 2026__ | School | Verified current statistic | Published current range | GRE share / data caveat | | ---------------------- | --------------------------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | Yale SOM | Median 675 | Not verified here | Official Class of 2027 announcement | | Dartmouth Tuck | Average 671 | Reported range: 595–775 | GRE share 54% | | Michigan Ross | Average 681 | Middle 80%: 635–725 | GRE share not verified | | Berkeley Haas | Median 675 | Middle 80%: 637–725 | 637 preserved as published statistical boundary | | UVA Darden | Average 671; median 665 | Not used here | GRE share not verified | | Texas McCombs | Median 655 | Middle 80%: 615–695 | Also reports EA median 155 | | Carnegie Mellon Tepper | Average 659; median 655 | Middle 80%: 595–715 | Also reports EA average 155; median 156 | | NYU Stern | Average 682 | Middle 80%: 645–725 | Current and classic statistics published separately | | Emory Goizueta | Average 648 | Not verified | Class of 2027 two-year MBA profile | | Duke Fuqua | Class of 2027 figure not verified | Not filled | Live profile now labels Class of 2028 | | UCLA Anderson | Class of 2027 figure not verified | Not filled | Live profile now labels Class of 2028 | | Indiana Kelley | Class of 2027 figure not verified | Not filled | Live profile now labels Class of 2028 | | Cornell Johnson | Current-scale figure not verified | Not filled | Checked 2027 profile lacks a verified current-scale split | ## Is 675, 685 or 705 a good GMAT score for these schools? A current 675 is the 94.0th percentile in [GMAC’s August 2026 total table](/articles/gmat-percentiles) and matches several published school medians in this comparison. A current 685 is at 95.1 and matches HBS’s published median. A current 705 is at 97.5\. These are strong positions in the testing distribution, but they do not produce individual admission probabilities. If your shortlist includes HBS, Stanford and Kellogg, their published central statistics give a reason to investigate a personal goal around the upper 600s or above. That is a preparation decision based on the profiles, not an official requirement. A Stanford average of 689 does not mean that 685 is automatically rejected or 695 automatically admitted. For an anxious applicant, the useful question is what the score still needs to demonstrate. Is there an unresolved academic-readiness concern? Are your section scores balanced enough to support your record? Does a retake have a credible path to improvement before the deadline? A headline comparison can frame those questions, but cannot answer them without your circumstances. For current averages such as 676 or 689, avoid attaching an invented exact percentile from interpolation. The official total table lists attainable individual results in ten-point steps ending in five. Compare your actual score with the school’s numerical statistic, and look up your own percentile directly. Keep any interpretation of an aggregate statistic clearly separate. __Attainable current-score landmarks from GMAC’s August 2026 table; last checked 4 October 2026__ | Current total | Official percentile | Verified profile comparison | | ------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | 655 | 89.6% | Matches McCombs and Tepper medians | | 665 | 91.2% | Matches Darden’s median | | 675 | 94.0% | Matches Booth, MIT, Yale and Haas medians | | 685 | 95.1% | Matches HBS median | | 695 | 96.9% | Above the listed M7 central statistics numerically | | 705 | 97.5% | High testing rank; school decision still holistic | ## GRE shares show viable routes, not easier admissions HBS reports that 44% of the Class of 2027 submitted GRE scores, Booth 42% and Tuck 54%. Those are enrolled-class submission shares, not acceptance rates for GRE applicants. They establish that the GRE is used by substantial portions of these classes; they do not establish that choosing it improves your chance of admission. Some school submission percentages overlap because a student can submit more than one exam. HBS lists 44% GRE, 34% current GMAT and 28% classic GMAT, which sums to more than 100 because some students sent several. Stanford’s share is widely reported as 44% GRE, but we could not confirm it on the school’s own chart. The denominators for score statistics also matter. A current-format GMAT average describes the students included in that test statistic, rather than automatically the entire class. It cannot be compared with a whole-class GRE submission share to infer that one group was academically stronger or held to a different standard. If you are choosing an exam, read the school’s explicit acceptance policy and compare your own timed performance on fresh materials. HBS, Wharton and Kellogg explicitly state no preference between GMAT and GRE. A class’s changing exam mix may help you feel comfortable considering both routes, but it is not a reason to convert a GRE score into a fictional current GMAT result. ## Current waiver policies: resolve the MIT claim before planning A class-profile statistic tells you what enrolled test submitters scored; it does not tell you whether you may apply without a test. MIT Sloan’s current full-time instructions say every applicant must submit a valid GMAT or GRE by the deadline (centre or online). Some roundups still say Sloan grants waivers; its own page does not support that for the full-time MBA. Booth’s FAQ contains a narrower exception: GMAT/GRE is optional for current UChicago undergraduates and graduates of a UChicago programme, while other applicants cannot receive a waiver under that FAQ. That is a defined eligibility rule, not a general work-experience exemption. Within the M7, Columbia also accepts the Executive Assessment; beyond it, Tuck, Darden and Emory run waiver-request processes. For the full route-by-route table, waiver criteria and request deadlines, see our [GMAT vs GRE vs Executive Assessment vs waiver guide](/articles/gmat-vs-gre-ea-waiver). ## When a retake has a specific purpose A retake is easier to judge when you can complete this sentence: “I want to improve this part of the score because it addresses this concern in my application.” If you can only say that someone online recommended 705, return to the actual school profiles and your academic evidence. Use a fresh full-length mock to determine whether the desired improvement is repeatable under ordinary timing. If your total fluctuates because you rush the end of DI, practise the pacing and review decision that causes the fluctuation. If you repeatedly lose the same type of [Quant reasoning](/gmat/quant), work on that weakness and verify it in a later timed set. Repeating complete mocks without changing the cause makes the score target less informative. Compare the expected value of another attempt with the work still needed on the application. A score near a published median may leave more urgent questions about goals or achievements. A score well below your chosen benchmark may justify focused preparation, but the range in a class profile still shows variation among enrolled students. Also check reporting policy before planning around combined results. GMAC’s superscore has no associated percentile. MIT says it currently focuses on single-attempt scores; Kellogg requires a single sitting and Booth does not accept superscores. A strategy that relies on combining sections therefore needs school-specific support, rather than an assumption that every current application uses the newest reporting feature. ## Build a score shortlist you can actually use For each programme, save the school source, cohort year, edition, statistic type and range definition. Add your own total and section results in separate columns. Then add the current application policy as a separate dated entry. This keeps a historical Class of 2027 score benchmark from being mistaken for today’s eligibility rule. Assign a personal preparation goal and a stopping rule. For example, you may aim to produce a fresh timed result at or above a published median while addressing a specific quantitative weakness. That is a measurable preparation goal; it is not a model of admission probability. Do not label any school a guaranteed option solely because your score exceeds its average. topin’s [free full-length GMAT mock](/gmat/practice-test) is timed like test day, scored on the official scale and includes explanations. Use one to identify the performance gap, then practise the reasoning or timing behind it. Keep your school research active while preparing, since a higher total cannot answer why the programme is right for your goals. Where the table has a gap, leave the gap in your own spreadsheet until you obtain an official comparable figure. That discipline prevents an older classic result, a newer graduating class or an unlabeled secondary estimate from quietly becoming the basis for an expensive application decision. ## Try a full GMAT mock free Timed like test day, every section scored, every answer explained. [Take the free mock ](/gmat/login) ## FAQs What GMAT Focus score is good for M7? The verified M7 Class of 2027 central statistics here include Booth’s 670 average, HBS’s 685 median and Stanford’s 689 average. Use your target programme’s specific statistic rather than a universal M7 cutoff. Is Stanford’s current GMAT average 689 or 698? Stanford’s official Class of 2027 page links a testing chart reporting 689\. A current-scale 698 figure for that cohort was not verified. Is 675 enough for a top-20 MBA? 675 matches several verified Class of 2027 medians in this comparison. A median match does not guarantee admission or make every programme equally realistic for your profile. What is HBS’s current GMAT median? HBS reports 685, with a middle-80% current-score range of 645–735, for the Class of 2027. Do M7 schools accept GRE scores? Yes. All seven accept the GRE, and 44% of HBS’s Class of 2027 and 42% of Booth’s submitted GRE scores. Does MIT Sloan offer a general GMAT waiver in 2026? Its current full-time MBA instructions require all applicants to submit a valid GMAT or GRE by the deadline. Do not generalise an exception from another admissions route. Can I apply to Booth without GMAT or GRE? Its current FAQ makes the test optional for current UChicago undergraduates or graduates of a UChicago programme. It says the requirement is not waived for other applicants. Why are some Class of 2027 scores missing? A comparable current-scale figure was not verified from an official school profile. Some live pages now show Class of 2028, whose numbers have deliberately not been relabelled as 2027. ## Sources (checked 4 October 2026) * [HBS: Class of 2027 profile](https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/class-profile) * [Stanford: Class of 2027 profile](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/programs/mba/admission/class-profile) * [Stanford: official testing chart linked from profile](https://infogram.com/%5F/L8xtLdw2l5iK16bZYoFE) * [Wharton: Class of 2027 profile](https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/class-profile/) * [Booth: Class of 2027 profile](https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/full-time/admissions/class-profile) * [Kellogg: official Class of 2027 announcement](https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/news/blog/2025/11/05/welcoming-class-2027-high-achievers/) * [MIT Sloan: official Class of 2027 factsheet](https://cdn.cdo.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/67/2025/10/All-Factsheets-2025-Final-1.pdf) * [Columbia: entering-2025 profile](https://academics.business.columbia.edu/admissions/mba/class-profile) * [Yale SOM: official Class of 2027 announcement](https://som.yale.edu/story/2025/meet-mba-class-2027) * [Tuck: official class profile](https://tuck.dartmouth.edu/admissions/class-profile) * [Michigan Ross: official class profile](https://michiganross.umich.edu/graduate/full-time-mba/admissions/class-profile) * [Berkeley Haas: official class profile](https://mba.haas.berkeley.edu/admissions/class-profile) * [Darden: official Class of 2027 profile](https://www.darden.virginia.edu/programs/blog/introducing-uva-dardens-full-time-mba-class-of-2027-class-profile) * [McCombs: official class profile](https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/graduate/mba/full-time-mba/admissions/class-profile/) * [Tepper: official full-time class profile](https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/programs/mba/admissions/ft-class-profile) * [NYU Stern: official Class of 2027 profile](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/programs-admissions/full-time-mba/community/class-profile) * [Emory: official Class of 2027 profile](https://goizueta.emory.edu/full-time-mba/two-year-mba/admissions/class-profile) * [Duke Fuqua: live class profile, now Class of 2028](https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/programs/daytime-mba/class-profile) * [UCLA Anderson: live class profile, now Class of 2028](https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/degrees/full-time-mba/admissions/class-profile) * [Indiana Kelley: live class profile, now Class of 2028](https://kelley.iu.edu/programs/full-time-mba/admissions/class-profile.html) * [Cornell Johnson: official Class of 2027 recruiting profile](https://business.cornell.edu/partners/recruiting-johnson/) * [GMAC: August 2026 total percentiles](https://go.gmac.com/hubfs/07.Assessments/GMAT%20Exam/GMAT%5FTotal%5FConcordance%5FAug2026.pdf) * [HBS: application requirements](https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/application-process) * [Stanford: GMAT/GRE policy](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/programs/mba/admission/application/test-scores/gmat-gre) * [Wharton: 2026–27 application guide](https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/application-guide/) * [Booth: test exception and superscore FAQ](https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/full-time/faq) * [Kellogg: full-time testing requirements](https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/admissions/ft-admissions/ft-how-to-apply/) * [MIT Sloan: current full-time test requirement](https://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/admissions/how-to-apply) * [Columbia: accepted admissions tests](https://academics.business.columbia.edu/admissions/mba/application-requirements) * [Tuck: 2026–27 application and waiver policy](https://tuck.dartmouth.edu/news/articles/tuck-looks-ahead-to-the-class-of-2029-launches-2026-2027-mba-application) * [Darden: current test-waiver FAQ](https://www.darden.virginia.edu/mba/admissions/faq) * [Emory: 2026–27 waiver process](https://goizueta.emory.edu/full-time-mba/two-year-mba/admissions/application) * [GMAC: superscore has no percentile](https://support.mba.com/hc/en-us/articles/51294712533787-GMAT-Additional-GMAT-Superscore-FAQ-and-Common-Questions) ## Related articles [All GMAT study guides ](/gmat) * [GMATAdmissionsISB and IIM GMAT targetsCompare official current-scale GMAT profiles for ISB and IIM Ahmedabad PGPX, with dated INR fees, GST treatment, centre-only test rules and score targets.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/gmat-score-isb-iim) * [GMATStudy plans & strategyData Insights 80+Aim for GMAT Data Insights 80+ using official 2026 percentiles, a 45-minute pacing plan, calculator decisions, error review and realistic practice targets.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/gmat-data-insights-80) * [GMATScores & percentilesGMAT percentilesCheck the latest official GMAT percentiles for 2026–27: all total and section scores, the August 2026 update, and what your ranking means for MBA targets.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/gmat-percentiles) * [GMATScores & percentilesGMAT score conversionConvert every classic GMAT score from 200–800 to the current 205–805 scale using GMAC’s August 2026 concordance, with target ranges and worked examples.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/gmat-score-converter)