GRE Now a Passport to Offers: All U.S. News Top 50 Schools Require It

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The 2024-2025 U.S. News Global University Rankings have been released, with American universities continuing to dominate thanks to strong academic research. British and Asia-Pacific institutions also performed vigorously, reshaping the overall ranking landscape. For families planning study abroad, this academically focused list provides a highly valuable reference. CheersYou(清柚教育) reminds international students that while tracking ranking shifts, it is even more critical to pay attention to standardized test requirements at top schools. Data shows that virtually all U.S. universities in the global top 50 now mandate GRE scores, and over half of the top 50 UK institutions do the same. GRE scores are becoming the essential passport to top-tier offers—students are advised to plan and prepare early to boost their core competitiveness.

After a quiet year, U.S. News has finally released the 2024-25 Global University Rankings!

 

These rankings focus more on academic research and reputation, letting students see how universities perform on the global stage. For those aiming for graduate study abroad, the value of this list speaks for itself.

 

Source: U.S. News

 

This year, U.S. News analyzed and listed 2,250 top universities across 104 countries, covering dimensions like overall ranking, country and region, and specific academic disciplines.

 

Next, let CheersYou(清柚教育) walk you through the new ranking trends and the GRE requirements at these top institutions!

 

 

American Universities Reassert Dominance

 

In this year's U.S. News global rankings, U.S. institutions remain the undisputed champions, washing away QS ranking "humiliation." Among the Top 10, the United States took 7 spots, and among the global Top 100, U.S. schools claimed 41 seats.

 

Harvard continues to lead as world number one, with MIT and Stanford right behind at second and third. The University of Washington stands out remarkably, surpassing Columbia and Yale to secure seventh place.

 

Comparing U.S. News and QS rankings for American schools reveals quite a few "contrasts":

① University of Washington, ranked only 76th in QS, breaks into the top ten on U.S. News at 7th.

② University of Pittsburgh, ranked near 300th on QS, lands at 50th on U.S. News.

 

Data source: U.S. News & QS & ETS official

 

Although U.S. schools show considerable ranking differences between the two lists, whether U.S. News or QS, the top 50 American universities almost all now require GRE scores!

 

MIT Sloan School of Business has a median GRE Quant score of 169 for admitted students!

 

 

Undercurrents Surge Among UK Institutions

 

This year's Top 10 includes three UK universities, and within the global Top 50, the UK placed six schools.

 

University of Oxford remains firmly first in the UK. UCL climbed this year, squeezing into the Top 10 alongside Cambridge at 7th and 6th respectively, giving the UK three institutions in the top ten for the first time.

 

 

Meanwhile, Imperial College London—the star performer who ranked second in this year's QS global ranking—lands at 12th on U.S. News.

 

Data source: U.S. News & QS & ETS official

 

It's not only U.S. schools demanding the GRE—more than half of the top 50 UK universities also require GRE scores!

 

Oxford's Saïd Business School requires applicants to score in the 80th+ percentile on GRE, with Analytical Writing at least 5.0!

 

 

Asia-Pacific Powers Keep Gaining Momentum

 

China's Tsinghua University rose seven spots to 16th, leading Asia ahead of the National University of Singapore at 22nd. Peking University moved up eight places to 31st.

 

The Chinese University of Hong Kong surpassed the University of Hong Kong (44th) for the first time, advancing to 42nd.

 

Australian universities, which dominated QS, also performed impressively here, with five cracking the Top 50: University of Melbourne (27th), University of Sydney (29th), Monash University (35th), UNSW Sydney (36th), and University of Queensland (41st).

 

Data source: U.S. News & QS & ETS official

 

Top Asia-Pacific institutions generally also require GRE scores!

 

 

At the University of Melbourne, nearly all popular master's programs explicitly require GRE scores!

 

 

GRE Is Essential for Top 50 Aspirants

 

Among the U.S. News Top 50 global universities, 100% of them either mandate or accept GRE scores for master's applications.

 

Whether you look at U.S. News or QS rankings, a strong GRE score is indispensable when targeting a Top 50 school!

 

Data source: U.S. News & QS & ETS official

 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT Sloan School of Business—virtually every program requires GRE scores.

 

Source: MIT official website

 

Imperial College London

Some of Imperial's popular programs either mandate or strongly recommend applicants submit GRE scores.

 

Source: IC official website

 

National University of Singapore

Last year, three full-time master's programs under NUS's Institute of Systems Science (ISS) added a GRE score requirement.

 

Source: NUS official website

 

Tsinghua University

Tsinghua- Columbia Dual Master's Degree Program in Business Analytics requires a GRE score at the re-examination stage.

 

Source: Tsinghua University official website

 

As you can see, an excellent GRE score is a huge advantage for top-tier applications. Anyone planning to apply should start preparing for the GRE as early as possible!