Berkeley Haas MBA GMAT: Average Scores, Ranges, and What You Need to Know

Berkeley Haas MBA Class of 2027 has a median GMAT 10th Edition score of 730, with the middle 80% ranging from 669 to 767, positioning the school among the most selective MBA programs in the country. The 98-point spread in your scoring range demonstrates that test performance alone does not determine admission outcomes at Haas. You could gain admission with a 680 if your overall candidacy is particularly compelling, just as a 760 score will not guarantee your acceptance if other elements of your application fall short of expectations. For the GMAT Focus Edition, which has been increasingly adopted by applicants, the median lands at 675 with a middle 80% range of 637 to 725, confirming that Haas accepts both test formats equally. This score profile places Berkeley Haas alongside other elite MBA programs and reflects a genuinely competitive applicant pool where many successful candidates span a wide range of test scores.

A strong GMAT score for Berkeley Haas typically falls in the 715 to 750 range, though being competitive depends heavily on the totality of your profile and your background. You could receive an admit with a 700 GMAT if your work experience demonstrates exceptional impact and leadership, or receive a rejection with a 745 if your career narrative lacks clarity and your essays fail to connect your goals to Haas. There is no official minimum GMAT score required at Haas, but submitting a score below 680 places you at a significant disadvantage unless you have extraordinary professional achievements or a unique background story that makes you stand out. Haas has admitted students with scores as low as 630 and as high as 770, yet these represent true outliers in the admitted class. If your score falls in the 710 to 740 range, you are well-positioned from a test perspective and can focus your energy on crafting compelling essays and securing strong recommendations that reinforce your candidacy. Anything below 670 puts you in a genuinely difficult position where you would need to demonstrate remarkable accomplishments, such as founding a successful business, leading a major company initiative, or overcoming substantial personal adversity, to move forward.

When evaluating what qualifies as a competitive GMAT score at Haas, you should recognize that the 730 median represents the middle of an admitted cohort with wildly diverse backgrounds, professional experiences, and personal narratives, not a universal minimum for success. A score in the 720 to 750 range positions you very well in the application process and signals to admissions officers that you have the quantitative and analytical capability to handle Haas's rigorous curriculum. Scores above 750 are clearly a strength and demonstrate exceptional analytical ability, but this advantage does not automatically translate to other parts of your application or make a weak candidate suddenly competitive. Conversely, a score between 700 and 720 remains quite competitive for Haas and indicates solid quantitative proficiency, even though it sits slightly below the median. Realistically speaking, if you score between 690 and 710, you still have a path forward at Haas, though you will need to compensate with truly distinctive professional accomplishments, thoughtful essays that show self-awareness and clear vision, and recommendations that attest to your leadership potential. Scores below 690 become a significant obstacle in Haas's competitive applicant pool, requiring you to present an extraordinarily compelling profile that addresses your lower test performance head-on.

Berkeley Haas is not test-optional and requires all full-time MBA applicants to submit either a GMAT or GRE score as part of the application process. The only exceptions to this requirement are applicants with a bachelor's or master's degree from a U.S. college or university in Business, Economics, or a STEM field with a minimum GPA of 3.4, or UC Berkeley alumni and certain doctoral degree holders. Both the GMAT 10th Edition and the newer GMAT Focus Edition are equally accepted, and you may also choose to submit a GRE instead if you prefer. Haas explicitly states that the admissions team treats all three testing options equally, so you should select the exam where you can achieve your strongest score while maintaining balanced performance across sections.

Your GMAT score functions as one critical component of how Haas evaluates your complete candidacy, never as the single determining factor in admission decisions. The admissions committee reviews your entire profile, including your work experience (the admitted class averages 5.6 years), your undergraduate GPA and academic background (average is 3.675), your essays which reveal your thinking and self-awareness, letters of recommendation from professional supervisors, and evidence of leadership impact in your career or volunteer work. Haas explicitly takes a holistic approach and will not admit an applicant based on GMAT score alone, nor will a high test score excuse weaknesses in your work experience story, essay narratives, or recommendation letters. Your test score primarily demonstrates whether you possess the analytical foundation and quantitative reasoning skills needed to succeed in Haas's core curriculum, which emphasizes data-driven decision-making and business analytics. The admissions committee uses your GMAT as one signal of academic readiness, but this signal is evaluated alongside numerous other indicators of your potential to thrive as a Haas student and contribute meaningfully to your cohort.

When Berkeley Haas evaluates your application, your GMAT score sits within a much larger context of who you are as a candidate and what you will bring to the program beyond your quantitative abilities. If you have a 750 GMAT but unremarkable work experience with minimal leadership impact, generic application essays that could apply to any MBA program, and middling recommendations, the admissions committee will not overlook these substantial gaps simply because you scored high on the test. This reality explains why many applicants with GMAT scores in the 700 to 720 range gain admission while applicants scoring 740 and above sometimes receive rejection letters. Your ultimate goal is to present yourself as a well-rounded candidate whose GMAT score proves you can handle the intellectual demands of the program while your essays, work history, and recommendations demonstrate that you will add distinct value to your classmates' learning experience and bring real leadership potential to the Haas community. An exceptional GMAT score can open doors by positioning you favorably, but it is only one key among several that unlock admission to this highly selective program.

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AdmitStudio users who are successful also use their essays to connect and reinforce the rest of the application, not repeat it. The essays highlight a few core themes, such as leadership, impact, self-awareness, and growth, while the résumé, recommendations, and short answers quietly support those same themes with concrete evidence. By aligning every part of the application around a consistent narrative, these applicants stand out not because they try to appear perfect, but because they are intentional, reflective, and clear about who they are and where they are going. Admissions officers come away with a strong sense of how the applicant will contribute to classroom discussions, team-based learning, and the broader MBA community.