# Is GRE Required for US MS in 2026? 30 Degrees | topin On this page ## How to read this programme-level tracker Last checked: 4 October 2026\. The year in the title is the date of this check, not a promise that every row concerns a Fall 2026 start. Autumn 2026 applicants are often researching 2027 entry. Where a department names a cycle, that cycle appears in the notes; where it does not, the row describes the currently published policy without inventing a year. Required means a score is normally part of a complete application, subject to stated waivers. Optional means the department permits submission without requiring it; recommended or preferred is retained in the notes. Not considered means the department expressly excludes the GRE from review or does not accept it. A waiver for a specific applicant is different from a programme being optional for everyone. Each source reference, such as C1 or E3, matches a named department link in the Sources list below. The tables cover on-campus master's routes unless the name says otherwise. MCS, MEng, MCDS, MIDS and Analytics are identified by their actual degree names rather than relabelled as an MS in Computer Science. Some official pages contain outdated secondary details even when the GRE line is clear. Treat the relevant policy and named cycle as the evidence, then recheck the application portal before committing money. For the few pages where direct retrieval was blocked, the notes disclose that the check used indexed text from the department's official page. ## Computer Science: 11 distinct master's routes __CS and related computing master's policies; all checked 4 October 2026; references link to department sources below__ | Programme | GRE requirement | Conditions and scope | Source | Checked | | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ---------- | | Stanford MS Computer Science | Not considered | MS FAQ expressly says not required and not considered | C1 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UC Berkeley research MS in EECS | Not considered | Research-degree route; not the professional MEng | C2 | 4 Oct 2026 | | CMU MS Computer Science | Optional; strongly recommended | Explain absence in statement; CMU student/alumni waiver; new home-test dates not accepted | C3 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Georgia Tech on-campus MS Computer Science | Optional | Considered if provided; relevance and background may affect usefulness | C4 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Illinois Urbana-Champaign MS Computer Science | Optional; recommended | Upload score report if submitting; official ETS send not needed for initial application | C5 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Illinois Urbana-Champaign Master of Computer Science | Optional; recommended | Professional MCS; school-wide GRE submission policy | C5 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UC San Diego MS Computer Science and Engineering | Optional | Fall 2027; valid scores may still be submitted | C6 | 4 Oct 2026 | | NYU Courant MS Computer Science | Optional; recommended | Department FAQ; not the separate Tandon programme | C7 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UMass Amherst on-campus MS Computer Science | Optional | Department explicitly says not submitting will not harm admission chances | C8 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UT Austin on-campus MS Computer Science | Optional | Submit if you believe it strengthens the application | C9 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Cornell MEng Computer Science | Not considered | Professional MEng; department says scores have no impact | C10 | 4 Oct 2026 | The strongest distinction in this table is between optional and not considered. Stanford's MSCS instruction is explicit: a high score does not become useful application evidence simply because you send it. At Georgia Tech, the current page explicitly allows scores and describes situations in which they may help. Those are different application strategies. CMU's MSCS page strongly recommends the GRE, especially without clear evidence of mathematical proficiency, and asks applicants without scores to explain briefly. That is more demanding wording than an unqualified optional policy, but it is not a universal required-score rule. The department also restricts home-test dates, so check delivery mode before choosing an appointment. Illinois's MS and MCS are separate degree routes with a shared school-level submission policy. The school recommends a scanned report if you submit and says an official ETS send is unnecessary at that stage. Do not spend on [a paid report](/articles/gre-fees-2026) merely because another university requires one; follow the receiving programme's instructions. Berkeley's row concerns research degrees, and Cornell's concerns the professional MEng. Read the programme description as carefully as the test policy. Removing the GRE from your checklist does not tell you whether the degree is a taught professional route, a small research programme or a suitable match for your goals. ## Data Science and Analytics: six separate policies __Data Science and related Analytics master's policies; checked 4 October 2026; preserve the named entry cycle__ | Programme | GRE requirement | Conditions and scope | Source | Checked | | --------------------------------------------- | --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ---------- | | Stanford MS Statistics, Data Science notation | Required | General GRE; specific waiver routes; separate from ICME | D1 | 4 Oct 2026 | | CMU Master of Computational Data Science | Required | Waived for current/former CMU students; official indexed page checked, direct fetch unavailable | D2 | 4 Oct 2026 | | NYU Center for Data Science MS Data Science | Optional | General GRE; upload instructions and official reporting apply if submitted | D3 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Columbia MS Data Science | Optional | Page explicitly states 2026 applications; 2027 continuation not confirmed | D4 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Duke Master in Interdisciplinary Data Science | Optional | MIDS requirements list GRE as optional | D5 | 4 Oct 2026 | | NC State MS Analytics | Not considered | Institute says GRE and GMAT are not considered | D6 | 4 Oct 2026 | Do not treat all data science degrees as one admissions category. Stanford's Statistics/Data Science route requires the General GRE, while NYU CDS makes it optional. NC State Analytics explicitly does not consider it. The label data science does not establish either a test requirement or a preferred score. Columbia's published wording is specifically for 2026 applications. We retain that limitation instead of silently extending it to Fall 2027\. If you are applying in the next cycle, get confirmation from the programme or current application instructions. A table checked today can still contain a policy whose stated scope ended earlier. Stanford distinguishes its Statistics/Data Science route from ICME's engineering route. Confirm which application you are submitting before copying this row into your planner. A university can have similarly named degrees hosted by different units, and the test requirement belongs to the unit and degree rather than the keyword on a comparison page. For CMU MCDS, the official indexed admissions text says required with a CMU waiver. Direct retrieval was unavailable during this check, and some nearby deadline text appears older. Use this as a reason to confirm the requirement for your intake; we do not convert the explicit required-score instruction into optional simply because another CMU department is optional. ## Electrical and Computer Engineering: seven programmes __EE/ECE master's policies; checked 4 October 2026; applicant-specific conditions remain in the row__ | Programme | GRE requirement | Conditions and scope | Source | Checked | | --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ---------- | | CMU MS Electrical and Computer Engineering | Optional | Spring and Fall 2027; applicants without scores considered equally | E1 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Georgia Tech MS Electrical and Computer Engineering | Optional | Scores considered if submitted; academic record and recommendations given greater consideration | E2 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Purdue MS Electrical and Computer Engineering | Optional; encouraged | All applicants; strong scores may support an unfamiliar academic background | E3 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Michigan MS Electrical and Computer Engineering | Required / optional by bachelor's institution | Required for international-institution bachelor's; accepted but optional for US bachelor's; indexed official page, direct fetch blocked | E4 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UT Austin MS Electrical and Computer Engineering | Not considered | Department says scores are excluded from admissions review | E5 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UCLA MS Electrical and Computer Engineering | Optional | Department FAQ says not required and describes submitting scores | E6 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UC San Diego MS Electrical and Computer Engineering | Optional | Fall 2027; official indexed FAQ; direct fetch blocked | E7 | 4 Oct 2026 | Michigan's master's policy separates applicants by the institution awarding the undergraduate degree. That is not a citizenship-based distinction. An Indian citizen with a US bachelor's and a US citizen with a bachelor's from an international institution can fall under different branches of the policy. The Michigan page also excludes the GRE from PhD admissions. That does not remove the master's requirement for the specified group. This is precisely where a university-wide or department-wide no-GRE list can mislead: even within one department, degree level and previous education change the answer. CMU ECE names Spring and Fall 2027, so the cycle is explicit. UT Austin ECE goes further than saying no test is required: it says the committee will not consider scores. Purdue, meanwhile, encourages submission and identifies circumstances where strong scores may help. Keep those notes when deciding whether to prepare. For UC San Diego ECE and Michigan ECE, direct page access was blocked during research, but official indexed department text supplied the policy above. Reopen the linked page and check your portal before final submission. We include this access limitation so the check date is not mistaken for a successful inspection of every live portal. ## Mechanical Engineering: six programmes __Mechanical Engineering MS policies; checked 4 October 2026; applies to the named master's route__ | Programme | GRE requirement | Conditions and scope | Source | Checked | | --------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ---------- | | Stanford MS Mechanical Engineering | Not considered | Current master's page excludes GRE for applications through January 2027 | M1 | 4 Oct 2026 | | CMU MS Mechanical Engineering | Not considered | Department does not accept GRE scores for graduate admission | M2 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Purdue on-campus MS Mechanical Engineering | Optional; encouraged in some cases | On-campus requirements; applicants from less familiar schools encouraged to submit | M3 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UT Austin MS Mechanical Engineering | Optional | MS/PhD mechanical route; do not borrow the separate OR/IE requirement | M4 | 4 Oct 2026 | | UCLA MS Mechanical Engineering | Required | Department lists an ESAP exception for eligible UCLA undergraduates | M5 | 4 Oct 2026 | | Illinois Urbana-Champaign MS Mechanical Engineering | Not considered | MechSE says the committee will not review GRE scores | M6 | 4 Oct 2026 | A no-GRE engineering list is especially unreliable if it mixes departments. UCLA Mechanical Engineering requires the test with a specific internal-undergraduate exception; that exception is not a waiver for all applicants who already hold a degree. Its instruction also differs from the ECE row above. Purdue's table entry uses the on-campus application requirements. An online programme may have different instructions, and an internal combined bachelor's/master's route can have another set again. An external applicant should start with the external on-campus page, even when a shorter internal checklist appears first in search. UT Austin's Mechanical Engineering page explicitly says submission is optional for the mechanical MS and PhD routes and separately mentions required scores for Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. Do not move that requirement into the mechanical row because the programmes share an administrative page. Stanford's current master's page has a through-January-2027 exclusion, while an older FAQ uses a different end date. We use the current master's admissions page and preserve its scope. If your application falls outside that period, ask the department to confirm the new cycle before relying on a permanent no-GRE assumption. ## What Indian and other international applicants must separate Check three independent conditions: whether the programme asks for the GRE, whether your bachelor's institution triggers an exception and whether English proficiency evidence is required. A no-GRE instruction does not waive English testing. Likewise, an English-medium degree does not automatically change the GRE policy. Record the university, school, department, full degree title, campus and entry term before copying a requirement. NYU Courant and NYU Tandon are different routes. Stanford's Statistics/Data Science and ICME routes are different. A page titled graduate admissions may cover several degree levels and still contain a narrower master's instruction. If you find two official statements, first compare their scopes. A current programme requirement can coexist with an older generic checklist, or a PhD waiver can coexist with a master's requirement. If the scope does not resolve the conflict, send the admissions office the two URLs and your intended intake and ask which instruction applies. Keep a dated copy of any answer in your application folder. This helps you act consistently if a portal still contains a test field after the programme says optional. A field existing in software is not proof that a score is required. Conversely, a portal allowing submission without a score is not proof that the programme will regard the application as complete. ## Why MIT, Berkeley and CMU lists often conflict MIT EECS's own FAQ says it does not use GRE scores in its regular admissions process, with an LGO exception. It also says it does not offer a terminal master's degree to external applicants through the ordinary EECS route. We therefore do not create a fictitious external MIT MSCS row or transfer the regular research policy to LGO. Berkeley EECS's current research admissions page says the GRE is neither required nor accepted. That supports the research-MS row; it does not establish the professional MEng policy. Statements claiming that Berkeley EECS generally reinstated the GRE need a current programme-specific source before they belong in your planning. CMU has several degrees with different policies. The four rows here already show strongly recommended, required, optional and not accepted. A phrase such as CMU requires GRE removes the degree information you need to act correctly. Replace university-level labels in your spreadsheet with one row per actual application. The same discipline can also differ across universities. Optional at one CS department is not evidence of a national trend that applies to your entire shortlist. This tracker is a practical set of checks, not a statistical survey of all US master's admissions or a claim about how many universities have changed policy. ## Should you take or submit the GRE? Start with every programme you would realistically apply to. If even one required-score programme matters to you, plan the exam and [reporting timetable](/articles/gre-score-validity-retakes) for that requirement. If every target excludes the GRE, put the preparation time into the materials those programmes actually review. For optional programmes, assess what additional evidence a score would provide. Read the department's stated reasons for considering it, compare with [any published programme-level profile](/articles/good-gre-score-ms-cs-data-science) and avoid a universal cutoff copied from a consultancy. A score can document one part of your preparation; it cannot complete missing prerequisites or supply a recommendation. * Record policy and intake from the exact department source. * Preserve words such as strongly recommended, preferred and not considered. * Check [delivery-mode acceptance](/articles/gre-at-home-2026) and score-age rules before booking. * Follow each programme's self-report and official-report instructions. * Recheck every row just before submitting the application. If you already have valid scores, decide recipient by recipient. A programme that permits a PDF may not need an immediate paid ETS report. Another may need official receipt by the deadline. If you are considering a new attempt, [a timed diagnostic](/gre/practice-test) can show the preparation work involved; use it alongside the programme's policy, not as an admission prediction. A sensible outcome is a shortlist with no unresolved testing assumptions. Mark any row needing confirmation and resolve it before paying. This guide's source references give you a starting point for that check; the department's current instruction for your exact application remains the final decision rule. ## Try a full GRE mock free Timed like test day, every section scored, every answer explained. [Take the free mock ](/gre/login) ## FAQs Is the GRE compulsory for MS in the USA in 2026? Not across the board. In our check of 30 programmes, three required it, one required it only for applicants with non-US bachelor's degrees, 18 made it optional and eight did not consider it. Does GRE optional mean my score will be ignored? No. Optional generally permits submission without requiring it; not considered explicitly excludes it. Preserve recommended or preferred wording when it appears. Does Stanford require the GRE for MS? Its MS Computer Science does not consider scores, while its Statistics/Data Science MS requires the General GRE with specified waiver routes. The department and degree matter. Does CMU require the GRE for Computer Science? CMU MSCS strongly recommends it and asks applicants without scores to explain. CMU MCDS's official admissions text requires it with a CMU student/alumni waiver. Can Indian students apply for MS without the GRE? Yes, at programmes whose policies permit it. Check applicant-specific conditions: Michigan ECE's master's rule distinguishes US and international undergraduate institutions. Does Berkeley EECS require the GRE? Its research-degree admissions page says the GRE is neither required nor accepted. That does not establish the separate professional MEng policy. Can I apply to MIT's terminal MS in Computer Science without GRE? MIT EECS does not offer an ordinary terminal master's route to external applicants. Its regular research admissions and the separate LGO programme have different test instructions. Does a GRE waiver also waive TOEFL or IELTS? No. GRE and [English proficiency](/articles/toefl-vs-ielts-2026) are separate requirements, each with programme-specific exemptions. ## Sources (checked 4 October 2026) * [C1 — Stanford CS: master's admissions FAQ](https://www.cs.stanford.edu/admissions/masters-admissions-frequently-asked-questions) * [C2 — Berkeley EECS: research-degree admissions](https://eecs.berkeley.edu/academics/graduate/research-programs/admissions/) * [C3 — CMU CSD: master's admissions](https://www.csd.cmu.edu/academics/masters/admissions) * [C4 — Georgia Tech: on-campus MSCS admission requirements](https://www.cc.gatech.edu/ms-computer-science-admission-requirements) * [C5 — Illinois Siebel School: graduate application requirements](https://siebelschool.illinois.edu/admissions/graduate/applications-process-requirements) * [C6 — UC San Diego CSE: graduate admissions](https://cse.ucsd.edu/graduate/admissions) * [C7 — NYU Courant CS: master's admissions FAQ](https://cs.nyu.edu/dynamic/masters/prospective-overview/masters-program-admissions-faqs/) * [C8 — UMass CICS: on-campus MS application](https://www.cics.umass.edu/academics/ms-computer-science-campus/how-apply-ms-program-campus) * [C9 — UT Austin CS: graduate application](https://www.cs.utexas.edu/graduate/apply) * [C10 — Cornell CS: MEng application](https://www.cs.cornell.edu/master-engineering-computer-science/apply) * [D1 — Stanford Statistics: MS admissions FAQ](https://statistics.stanford.edu/msadmissions/ms-admissions-faq) * [D2 — CMU LTI: MCDS admissions, official indexed text](https://mcds.cs.cmu.edu/apply-mcds-program) * [D3 — NYU CDS: MS Data Science requirements](https://cds.nyu.edu/admissions/masters-in-data-science-admissions-req/admissions-requirements/) * [D4 — Columbia Data Science Institute: MS admissions](https://datascience.columbia.edu/education/ms-data-science) * [D5 — Duke MIDS: admissions requirements](https://datascience.duke.edu/admissions/requirements/) * [D6 — NC State Institute for Advanced Analytics: admissions FAQ](https://analytics.ncsu.edu/admissions/frequently-asked-questions/) * [E1 — CMU ECE: admissions](https://www.ece.cmu.edu/admissions/) * [E2 — Georgia Tech ECE: graduate admissions](https://ece.gatech.edu/future-students/graduate-admissions) * [E3 — Purdue ECE: admissions guide](https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/Academics/Graduates/Admissions) * [E4 — Michigan ECE: master's application, official indexed text](https://ece.engin.umich.edu/academics/graduate-programs/prospective-grad-students/apply-for-grad/) * [E5 — UT Austin ECE: graduate FAQ](https://ece.utexas.edu/academics/graduate/faq) * [E6 — UCLA ECE: graduate admissions FAQ](https://www.ee.ucla.edu/grad-admission-faq/) * [E7 — UC San Diego ECE: score FAQ, official indexed text](https://ece.ucsd.edu/graduate/admission-faq/faq-test-scores) * [M1 — Stanford ME: current master's admissions](https://me.stanford.edu/academics-admissions/graduate-programs/masters-program/masters-admissions) * [M2 — CMU ME: graduate admissions](https://www.meche.engineering.cmu.edu/education/graduate-programs/admission/index.html) * [M3 — Purdue ME: on-campus application requirements](https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME/Graduate/Prospective/ApplicationRequirementsOnCampus) * [M4 — UT Austin ME: graduate admissions](https://me.utexas.edu/academics/graduate-program/graduate-admissions) * [M5 — UCLA MAE: graduate admissions and ESAP exception](https://www.mae.ucla.edu/graduate-admissions-2/) * [M6 — Illinois MechSE: MS/PhD admissions requirements](https://mechse.illinois.edu/graduate/MS-PhD-requirements) * [MIT EECS: graduate admissions FAQ, terminal master's and LGO distinctions](https://www.eecs.mit.edu/academics/graduate-programs/admission-process/graduate-admissions-faqs/) ## Related articles [All GRE study guides ](/gre) * [GREAdmissionsGood GRE scores for CS and DSSet a GRE target for CS or data science using official percentiles and published programme profiles, with missing data, older cohorts and score policies clear.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/good-gre-score-ms-cs-data-science) * [GREFormat & test dayGRE at home checklistPrepare for GRE at home in 2026: advance identity verification, two cameras, equipment and room rules, plus a practical 72-hour to check-in checklist.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/gre-at-home-2026) * [GREFees & retakesGRE fees and savingsThe GRE costs $249 from August 2026\. 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