Aishwarya
Aishwarya Bhatnagar
Study Abroad Expert
Updated on Nov 13, 2025 09:54 IST

Students aiming to get into the top business schools abroad must qualify for the GMAT exam with good scores. A GMAT Focus score of 645 or more that strengthens a candidate’s MBA or MIM application is considered a good GMAT score. A GMAT score of 645 is considered good, whereas, a higher GMAT score is considered excellent. Students who want to pursue an MBA program from top B-Schools would be required to have a good GMAT Score to start with. Read on to understand the definition of what is a good GMAT score and its importance.

What is a Good GMAT Score?

Getting into a top B-school is never an easy task, it is even harder for those who simultaneously juggle with their professional life. In this article, we will inform you about the best GMAT (Focus) score you should plan to get into your preferred B-school. A good GMAT score may vary from candidate to candidate. Many times candidates think that average GMAT scores are equal to a good GMAT score. Candidates often take the GMAT exam more than once to get their targeted score. To get into a top business school, 645+ can be a good GMAT score. The average GMAT score for a top business school varies from university to university, however, the majority of them prefer candidates with 645+.

Different B-schools also accept GRE scores for MBA programs (learn the difference between the GRE and GMAT exams here). So, one should know about the GMAT to GRE score conversion and GRE to GMAT score conversion. A high GMAT score not only indicates the potential of the candidate but also opens doors for a GMAT scholarship (Not all B-schools/management schools offer GMAT scholarships).

Table of contents
  • What is GMAT Percentile Score?
  • What is a Good GMAT Score?
  • Why GMAT Scores are Important for Business Schools?
  • GMAT Scores for Top MBA Colleges 2025
  • GMAT Score for MBA Scholarship

What is GMAT Percentile Score?

Candidates who are to appear for their GMAT examination should be aware that the exam is scored from a range of 205 to 805 points. After appearing for your GMAT exam, candidates would receive the GMAT score chart containing a total of 3 scores – Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights along with a Total score. The aggregate GMAT score is solely based on a candidate’s performance in all three sections. You also get a percentile score, which tells you how you have scored comparatively to every 100 candidates taking the GMAT exam.

Check out the table for old GMAT score along with equivalent GMAT Focus scores and percentiles:

Old GMAT Score (10th Edition) GMAT Focus Score (Latest) Percentile
800 805 100th
790 805 100th
780 785 100th
770 755 99.9th
760 735 99.5th
750 715 98.7th
740 695 97.9th
730 685 96.7th
720 675 95.2th
710 665 93.2th
700 655 89.6th
690 645 86.7th
680 635 83.5th
670 625 80.1th
660 615 78.3th
650 615 74.5th
640 595 70.7th
630 585 64.8th
620 575 62.1th
610 565 55.8th
600 555 52.7th
590 545 49.0th
580 535 43.0th
570 525 35.0th
560 515 32.0th
550 505 28.5th
540 495 25.0th
530 485 22.0th
520 475 19.0th
510 465 17.0th
500 455 15.0th
490 445 12.0th
480 435 10.0th
470 425 8.0th
460 415 6.0th
450 405 4.0th
440 395 3.0th
430 385 2.0th
420 375 1.0th
410 365 0.5th
400 355 0.2th
390 345 0.1th

So those who appeared for the old GMAT and require a comparison of old scores with new ones can consider the table above for reference.

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What is a Good GMAT Score?

"A score above 645+ in the latest GMAT exam is a good score" is a false narrative. Now the answer to the question- "What is a good GMAT Score?" entirely depends on the college and course of choice. Your targeted score can be a good starting point to prepare for the GMAT test. Candidates with scores above 635 are generally categorised into "above-average GMAT scores" which is different from a good score. It is no unknown fact that to get into one of the top B-schools, candidates would be required to score comfortably above 645 points, to be able to achieve a good score status. Most candidates who would score below 645 points could, however, appear for the GMAT exam again to improve their performance as most business schools require a GMAT score above 645. For a candidate who has achieved a GMAT score of 665, it would be unwise to attempt to better his performance.

Hence, to put it squarely, a good GMAT score would totally depend on the business school one plans to apply. The top B-Schools would expect nothing below the 645 scale. While most schools accept applications even on scores above 555 in the GMAT exam. A rising GMAT score also signifies that competition among the aspirants is rising year after year and it also indicates the increasing potential of the candidates. Apart from this, one also gets the idea that competition among the top B-schools is also increasing substantially. Having a high GMAT score must be your top priority, however, students should also focus on building a strong profile along with it.







Why GMAT Scores are Important for Business Schools?

There are some B-schools without GMAT requirements for MBA admissions. However, a report from Menlo Coaching’s research proves that high GMAT scores give you an advantage in getting admission to a top business school. GMAT scores are considered a great predictor of the success of a candidate in a business school. As GMAT test is designed to assess skills that are required in an MBA program.

GMAT Scores for Top MBA Colleges 2025

Whether it is Wharton's GMAT score or Stanford's GMAT score, we have given average GMAT scores required for top MBA colleges in the world.

Below mentioned are the average GMAT scores for top US business schools.

Top Business Schools in USA

GMAT (Focus) Score Requirement

The Wharton School (UPenn)

675

Harvard Business School

675

Stanford Graduate School of Business

685

Booth School of Business, UChicago

675

Kellogg School of Management

675

MIT Sloan School of Management

675

Dartmouth Tuck

675

Columbia Business School

675

UC Berkeley (Haas)

675

Yale School of Management

685

Below are the average GMAT scores required for the top business schools in Europe.

Top Business Schools in Europe

GMAT Score Requirement

INSEAD, France

 665

London Business School

 645

HEC Paris

 645

IESE Business School

525-635

Oxford (Saïd)

 645

IE Business School

 615

Cambridge (Judge)

 635

Warwick Business School

 615

Manchester Business School

 555+

ESADE

 615

Below are the average GMAT scores required for top business schools in Canada.

Top Business Schools in Canada

GMAT Score Requirement

University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management

525+

McGill University – Desautels Faculty of Management

615

York University – Schulich School of Business

615

HEC Montreal

585+

Western University – Ivey Business School

615

UBC Sauder School of Business

525+

Alberta School of Business

525+

Queen’s Smith School of Business

555

Sobey School of Business

555

Concordia University – John Molson School of Business

535+

GMAT Score for MBA Scholarship

A good GMAT score can help international students get MBA scholarships abroad. A student with a 645+ GMAT score can get a scholarship as compared to a student with a 555 GMAT score. Some essential points to consider for MBA scholarships abroad.

  • Scholarship committees assess multiple elements before approving scholarships where GMAT score is the most significant. You may be able to compete for MBA program merit based scholarships with a good GMAT score.
  • High performing students can receive full or partial scholarships from business schools. Applying for scholarships can put you ahead of the competition if you have a high GMAT score. It displays your aptitude for academic work and your likelihood of succeeding in an MBA programme.
  • Scholarship committees take into account a variety of factors in addition to GMAT scores, including professional experience, academic background, letters of recommendation, and mission statement.
  • To increase your chances of being awarded a scholarship, it is critical to have a well-rounded application.

In conclusion, although it is not the only factor in scholarship selection, a high GMAT score can greatly increase your chances of being awarded merit-based funding for MBA programmes.

For help with university applications, students seeking to study abroad can contact our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. The comments section below allows candidates to contact us as well.

Q:   Which month is best for GMAT exam?
A:

As such there is no particular preference for choosing the best month to appear for GMAT exam. It is up to the applicants to choose a relevant GMAT exam date based on their admission intakes abroad and regster accordingly. Those who wish to submit GMAT scores for Fall intake should register for July-August months. While those applying for Spring intakes can appear for the exam in September-December months. It is completely up to the students because they need time to prepare and select an apt GMAT exam date. 

Q:   Will a 755 GMAT get me into Harvard?
A:

Yes, a GMAT score of 755 can help applicants get admission to MBA at Harvard. Usually the cutoff ranges between 655-745, and a score of 755 is a good score to get through the process. But the supporting documents should also be at par in order to get a sure shot win for the MBA admission at Harvard.

Q:   Is GMAT only for MBA?
A:

GMAT is not only for MBA admissions, but also for other master's courses offered in business and related fields. Courses for which GMAT is also accepted apart from MBA are as follows:

These are some of the courses for which GMAT exam scores are accepted. The requirements may vary country-wise and course wise for international applicants. 

 

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Written by
Aishwarya Bhatnagar
Study Abroad Expert
Aishwarya is a professional Writer currently working as a Study Abroad Expert in the Editorial Team at Shiksha. She has over 5 years of experience and is skilled at creating Online Content with leveraged knowledge i Read Full Bio
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