What do M7, T15, and T25 mean?

M7 refers to the seven elite US MBA programs (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, Columbia, MIT Sloan). T15 and T25 extend to the top 15 and top 25 ranked programs respectively, while Regional covers strong non-top-25 schools.

Should I aim for the median or higher?

The median is the baseline to be competitive. Hitting the 80th-percentile figure strengthens your application, especially if other parts of your profile — like GPA or work experience — are merely average for the tier.

Are these GMAT Focus Edition scores?

Yes. The ranges use the GMAT Focus Edition 205-805 scale that replaced the classic GMAT. If a school still reports classic GMAT averages, they are not directly comparable to these Focus figures.

Can a strong profile offset a below-median GMAT?

Often, yes. A standout career trajectory, leadership record, undergraduate rigor, or underrepresented background can compensate for a score slightly under the median, though a large gap is harder to overcome.

Do schools accept the GRE instead of the GMAT?

Nearly all top MBA programs accept either test and treat them equivalently via concordance. If your GRE percentile is much stronger than your GMAT, submitting the GRE can be the better strategic choice.

GMAT Target Score by MBA Program

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What this tool does

The GMAT Target Score by MBA Program tool tells you what GMAT Focus Edition total you should aim for, based on the tier of schools you are targeting. Rather than guessing, you see the median and a competitive 80th-percentile figure drawn from recent entering-class profiles for that tier.

How it works

MBA programs cluster into tiers with characteristic score profiles. The tool stores, for each tier, a representative class median and an 80th-percentile total on the GMAT Focus 205-805 scale:

M7        -> median ~705, 80th pct ~735
T15       -> median ~685, 80th pct ~715
T25       -> median ~655, 80th pct ~695
Regional  -> median ~615, 80th pct ~655

The median is the score at which half the admitted class scored higher and half lower. The 80th-percentile figure shows what a clearly strong applicant for that tier looks like. Aim for at least the median; clearing the 80th-percentile mark gives you more margin elsewhere in the application.

Tips and notes

These figures are tier averages, not hard cutoffs — individual schools within a tier vary, and a single program’s published class profile is always the authoritative number. A below-median score can be offset by a strong career record, rigorous undergrad, or distinctive background, but a large gap is harder to close. Remember that top programs accept the GRE on equal footing, so if your GRE percentile is stronger, that may be the smarter test to submit.