Which tests do Stanford GSB programs require?
Stanford GSB treats each program separately: each has its own application, and the admissions test is one component among several. The table summarizes what admissions pages said on October 6, 2026, for three programs: the MBA, MSx, and PhD.
The programs target applicants at different career stages. The MSx is a 12-month, full-time master’s in management requiring at least eight years of post-degree work experience. Its overview reports an average of 13 years of experience and a class of about 80 students. The MBA is aimed at earlier-career applicants; the school’s “School Profile” page reports an average of 5.3 years of experience for the Class of 2027. The “MiM or MBA” article can help you choose a program level.
| Program | Entry | Admissions test | English test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-year MBA | 2026–2027 cycle: rounds on January 6, 2027, and April 7, 2027, following the September 2026 round, at 4 p.m. Pacific Time | GMAT or GRE, either one; no minimum or preference; LSAT, MCAT, and Executive Assessment not accepted | TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE if prior studies were not entirely in English; minimums apply |
| MSx, 12-month master’s in management | Rounds on January 6, 2027, and February 11, 2027, following the October 2026 round | GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment, any one; no minimum, no preference, no waiver | TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, or PTE Academic; IELTS 7.0 and PTE 68; TOEFL 100 before January 21, 2026, or 5 after that date according to the MSx wording |
| PhD | Fall 2027 entry; deadline December 1, 2026; decisions around mid-March | GRE required for all applicants, with no minimum; test taken between December 1, 2021, and December 1, 2026; GMAT not mentioned | TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic, unless waived; minimums apply; MyBest Scores accepted |
GMAT or GRE: does the school prefer one?
The MBA page states explicitly that the GMAT Exam, in its 10th Edition or Focus Edition, or the GRE is required; there is no minimum score and the school does not prefer one test over the other. The “GMAT or GRE” article outlines the selection criteria.
If you have taken the test more than once, report scores from only one test session; the school requires reported scores to come from the same sitting. Official at-home versions of the GMAT and GRE are accepted, as are test-center scores. The school recommends taking the test several weeks before the deadline, allows self-reported scores while waiting for the official report, and says no interview is granted without a valid score on file.
Scores must have been obtained on or after a date that depends on the round: January 6, 2022, for the January 6, 2027, round; April 7, 2022, for the April 7, 2027, round. For the MSx, the page sets January 6, 2022, and February 11, 2022, for the January and February 2027 rounds and offers no test waiver. The Executive Assessment, which the MBA does not accept, is accepted by the MSx alongside the GMAT and GRE; see the article about that test. A joint MBA and MSx application, available only for the January 6, 2027, round, requires the GMAT or GRE.
The PhD has separate requirements: all applicants must take the GRE, regardless of experience or degree, with no minimum score; for fall 2027 entry, only tests taken from December 1, 2021, through December 1, 2026, count. The GMAT is not mentioned. Unlike the MBA and MSx, the PhD requires all GRE results from this window without combining scores from different sessions; at-home GRE tests are accepted.
Which English test, and what is the minimum?
Unlike the GMAT and GRE, the English test has a numerical minimum. The MBA accepts the TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE. Published minimums are 7.0 overall on the IELTS Academic and 68 on the PTE Academic; for TOEFL iBT, 100 for tests taken before January 21, 2026, and 5.0 from that date onward. The 100 and 5.0 use different scales for the same test, which has been scored from 1 to 6 since January 21, 2026; do not mix them. Official at-home TOEFL and IELTS tests are accepted; online PTE is not. The MSx also lists IELTS 7.0 and PTE 68, as well as TOEFL 100 before January 21, 2026, and 5 “after” that date; its wording does not specify tests taken on January 21 itself. Confirm this case with the MSx.
You may qualify for a waiver if your university taught all courses exclusively in English, at either the undergraduate or graduate level. Foreign-language courses do not disqualify you. If the university is in a country where English is not the primary language of daily life, explain your situation in the application; the school may request an additional test. The school says nationality and work experience do not qualify for a waiver. Scores are valid for two years, and the test must be taken before the round deadline. The school does not accept TOEFL iBT “MyBest Scores.” The TOEIC is not on the accepted-test list; the article on choosing an international test discusses English exams accepted by schools.
The PhD has its own rules. It requires TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic, with a minimum of 100 on TOEFL for tests taken before January 21, 2026, 5 from that date onward, and 7 on IELTS; scores are valid for two years. Unlike the MBA, it accepts MyBest Scores. Waivers are available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, native English speakers, graduates of a university where all instruction was in English, and applicants with at least two consecutive years of work or study in English within the past ten years.
Which scores does Stanford GSB publish?
This table includes only information published by the school itself, with its scope, time period, and source page. The MBA profile covers the Class of 2027, with data as of September 17, 2025, under the “GME Admissions Reporting Standards” cited by the school; test figures appear in the page’s chart. For each test, it gives an average and a range without saying whether the range covers all or part of the class; we label it “reported range.” 58% of students submitted a GMAT and 44% a GRE, with some submitting both. The MSx Class of 2026 profile gives medians and says its ranges cover the middle 80% of entering-student scores.
The two GMAT editions have separate rows and scales: 200–800 for the 10th Edition and 205–805 for the Focus Edition. The raw scores of 738 and 689 are not directly comparable, and we do not convert them. The “School Profile” page reports 7,259 applications and 434 enrolled students for the MBA Class of 2027.
| Test | Program or scope | What the school publishes | Edition and period |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMAT 10th Edition (200–800) | MBA, Class of 2027 | Average 738; reported range 540–780 | Data as of September 17, 2025 |
| GMAT Focus Edition (205–805) | MBA, Class of 2027 | Average 689; reported range 615–785 | Data as of September 17, 2025 |
| GRE | MBA, Class of 2027 | Verbal: average 164, reported range 150–170; Quant: average 164, reported range 151–170 | Data as of September 17, 2025 |
| TOEFL iBT (0–120) | MBA, Class of 2027 | Average 112; reported range 103–119 | Data as of September 17, 2025 |
| GMAT 10th Edition (200–800) | MSx, Class of 2026 | Median 740; middle 80% range 710–770 | Class of 2026 profile |
| GMAT Focus Edition (205–805) | MSx, Class of 2026 | Median 665; middle 80% range 615–695 | Class of 2026 profile |
| Executive Assessment (100–200) | MSx, Class of 2026 | Median 157; middle 80% range 151–165 | Class of 2026 profile |
| GRE | MSx, Class of 2026 | Verbal: median 164, middle 80% range 160–168; Quant: median 167, middle 80% range 155–170 | Class of 2026 profile |
| TOEFL iBT (0–120) | MSx, Class of 2026 | Median 106; middle 80% range 101–112 | Class of 2026 profile |
The pitfall
Assuming no minimum means no requirements and mixing English-test scales
No GMAT or GRE minimum does not mean there is no English minimum. An applicant who reads “no minimum” on the admissions-test page and overlooks the English page could submit an insufficient score, use the wrong scale, or submit a score that expired after two years.
A class average or median is not a minimum, and one program’s figure does not apply to another program or test; MSx medians say nothing about the MBA. Note the program, class, and test edition before interpreting a score.
What happens after the test?
The MBA application also includes academic history, a description of work experience, activities and honors, two recommendation letters, essays, an optional short question, and a USD 275 application fee, with waivers in some cases. The application, letters, and payment are due by 4 p.m. Pacific Time for each round. MBA decisions are released on April 1, 2027, for the January 6 round and May 27, 2027, for the April 7 round.
The school recommends taking the test several weeks before the deadline, since score reports may take one to three weeks after the test to become available; leaving time for a retake is our recommendation. The PhD application deadline for fall 2027 entry is December 1, 2026, with a USD 125 application fee.
Key takeaways
- Stanford GSB’s MBA requires the GMAT or GRE, with no minimum or preference; the Executive Assessment is not accepted for the MBA but is accepted for the MSx. The MBA Class of 2027 reports averages of 689 on GMAT Focus and 738 on the 10th Edition; these are averages, not cutoffs.
- English tests have minimums: IELTS 7.0, PTE 68, TOEFL iBT 100 before January 21, 2026, or 5.0 from that date onward; a waiver may be available after earning a degree taught entirely in English, and scores are valid for two years. The MSx says 5.0 “after” January 21; confirm with the program if you took the test on that date.
- The test must have been taken within the five years before your target round; upcoming MBA deadlines are January 6 and April 7, 2027.
- The PhD requires the GRE from all applicants, with no minimum, and has a December 1, 2026, deadline for fall 2027 entry; it accepts TOEFL MyBest Scores, which the MBA does not.