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Digest of Education Statistics
2002 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 311. Scores on Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and subject matter tests: 1965 to 2000

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
         |            |          |              |              |              |                                           Subject matter tests
         |            |          |              |              |              |_______________________________________________________________________________________________
         |            |          |   Verbal     |Quantitative  | Analytical   |              |                 |                 |              |              |
Academic |    Number  |GRE takers|              |              |              |  Biology     |  Chemistry      |  Education      | Engineering  | Literature   | Psychology
  year   |      of    |  as a    |______________|______________|______________|______________|_________________|_________________|______________|______________|______________
 ending  |      GRE   |percent of|      |Stand- |      |Stand- |      |Stand- |      |Stand- |         |Stand- |         |Stand- |      |Stand- |      |Stand- |      |Stand-
         |    takers  |bachelor's| Mean |ard    | Mean |ard    | Mean |ard    | Mean |ard    |  Mean   |ard    |  Mean   |ard    | Mean |ard    | Mean |ard    | Mean |ard
         |            | degrees  |      |devia- |      |devia- |      |devia- |      |devia- |         |devia- |         |devia- |      |devia- |      |devia- |      |devia-
         |            |          |      |tion   |      |tion   |      |tion   |      |tion   |         |tion   |         |tion   |      |tion   |      |tion   |      |tion
_________|____________|__________|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______|_________|_______|_________|_______|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______
    1    |       2    |     3    |  4   |   5   |  6   |   7   |  8   |   9   |  10  |  11   |   12    |  13   |     14  |  15   |  16  |  17   |  18  |  19   |  20  |  21
_________|____________|__________|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______|_________|_______|_________|_______|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______
1965.....|     93,792 |     18.7 |  530 |   124 |  533 |   137 |  †   |   †   |  617 |   117 |     628 |   114 |     481 |    86 |  618 |   108 |  591 |    95 |  556 |    91
1966.....|    123,960 |     23.8 |  520 |   124 |  528 |   133 |  †   |   †   |  610 |   115 |     618 |   110 |     474 |    87 |  609 |   106 |  588 |    94 |  552 |    91
1967.....|    151,134 |     27.0 |  519 |   125 |  528 |   134 |  †   |   †   |  613 |   114 |     615 |   104 |     476 |    90 |  603 |   104 |  582 |    91 |  553 |    93
1968.....|    182,432 |     28.8 |  520 |   124 |  527 |   135 |  †   |   †   |  614 |   114 |     617 |   104 |     478 |    87 |  601 |   105 |  572 |    91 |  547 |    93
1969.....|    206,113 |     28.3 |  515 |   124 |  524 |   132 |  †   |   †   |  613 |   112 |     613 |   104 |     477 |    88 |  591 |   103 |  569 |    89 |  543 |    89
         |            |          |      |       |      |       |      |       |      |       |         |       |         |       |      |       |      |       |      |
1970.....|    265,359 |     33.5 |  503 |   123 |  516 |   132 |  †   |   †   |  603 |   111 |     613 |   113 |     462 |    92 |  586 |   110 |  556 |    90 |  532 |    91
1971.....|    293,600 |     35.0 |  497 |   125 |  512 |   134 |  †   |   †   |  603 |   114 |     618 |   117 |     457 |    95 |  587 |   115 |  546 |    91 |  530 |    92
1972.....|    293,506 |     33.1 |  494 |   126 |  508 |   136 |  †   |   †   |  606 |   115 |     624 |   124 |     446 |    93 |  594 |   119 |  544 |    96 |  528 |    92
1973.....|    290,104 |     31.5 |  497 |   125 |  512 |   135 |  †   |   †   |  619 |   110 |     630 |   114 |     459 |    96 |  593 |   114 |  545 |    96 |  529 |    92
1974.....|    301,070 |     31.8 |  492 |   126 |  509 |   137 |  †   |   †   |  624 |   110 |     634 |   115 |     452 |    93 |  591 |   121 |  547 |    99 |  530 |    95
         |            |          |      |       |      |       |      |       |      |       |         |       |         |       |      |       |      |       |      |
1975.....|    298,335 |     32.3 |  493 |   125 |  508 |   137 |  †   |   †   |  --- |   --- |     --- |   --- |    ---  |  ---  | ---  |  ---  | ---  |  ---  | ---  |  ---
1976.....|    299,292 |     32.3 |  492 |   127 |  510 |   138 |  †   |   †   |  627 |   112 |     627 |   107 |     454 |    93 |  594 |   119 |  539 |   101 |  531 |    93
1977.....|    287,715 |     31.3 |  490 |   129 |  514 |   139 |  †   |   †   |  625 |   113 |     630 |   109 |     453 |    93 |  592 |   115 |  532 |   101 |  532 |    95
1978.....|    286,383 |     31.1 |  484 |   128 |  518 |   135 |  †   |   †   |  622 |   113 |     624 |   108 |     452 |    91 |  594 |   114 |  530 |   102 |  529 |    97
1979.....|    282,482 |     30.7 |  476 |   130 |  517 |   135 |  †   |   †   |  621 |   117 |     623 |   104 |     451 |    89 |  592 |   115 |  525 |   102 |  530 |    97
         |            |          |      |       |      |       |      |       |      |       |         |       |         |       |      |       |      |       |      |
1980.....|    272,281 |     29.3 |  474 |   131 |  522 |   136 |  †   |   †   |  619 |   115 |     618 |   105 |     449 |    90 |  590 |   116 |  521 |   105 |  534 |    98
1981.....|    262,855 |     28.1 |  473 |   128 |  523 |   136 |  †   |   †   |  617 |   115 |     615 |   103 |     453 |    90 |  590 |   116 |  520 |    99 |  532 |    97
1982.....|    256,381 |     26.9 |  469 |   130 |  533 |   137 |  498 |   126 |  616 |   114 |     616 |   105 |     456 |    89 |  593 |   115 |  521 |   100 |  532 |    97
1983.....|    263,674 |     27.2 |  473 |   131 |  541 |   138 |  504 |   128 |  623 |   115 |     620 |   105 |     459 |    90 |  599 |   114 |  527 |    98 |  542 |    95
1984.....|    265,221 |     27.2 |  475 |   130 |  541 |   139 |  512 |   129 |  622 |   115 |     619 |   102 |     461 |    90 |  604 |   114 |  530 |    97 |  543 |    96
         |            |          |      |       |      |       |      |       |      |       |         |       |         |       |      |       |      |       |      |
1985.....|    271,972 |     27.8 |  474 |   126 |  545 |   140 |  516 |   129 |  619 |   114 |     621 |   101 |     459 |    89 |  615 |   120 |  531 |    95 |  541 |    95
1986.....|    279,428 |     28.3 |  475 |   126 |  552 |   140 |  520 |   129 |  612 |   114 |     628 |   106 |     464 |    87 |  616 |   119 |  527 |    96 |  542 |    97
1987.....|    293,560 |     29.6 |  477 |   126 |  550 |   140 |  521 |   128 |  616 |   116 |     629 |   104 |     465 |    86 |  619 |   119 |  526 |    95 |  536 |    95
1988.....|    303,703 |     30.5 |  483 |   123 |  557 |   140 |  528 |   128 |  615 |   114 |     631 |   108 |     467 |    85 |  622 |   120 |  525 |    94 |  537 |    94
1989.....|    326,096 |     32.0 |  484 |   125 |  560 |   142 |  530 |   129 |  612 |   114 |     642 |   117 |     465 |    87 |  626 |   116 |  528 |    91 |  538 |    95
         |            |          |      |       |      |       |      |       |      |       |         |       |         |       |      |       |      |       |      |
1990.....|    344,572 |     32.8 |  486 |   123 |  562 |   143 |  534 |   128 |  612 |   114 |     662 |   123 |     461 |    84 |  617 |   111 |  523 |    92 |  537 |    95
1991.....|    379,882 |     34.7 |  485 |   122 |  562 |   141 |  536 |   129 |  609 |   113 |     660 |   123 |     457 |    85 |  611 |   111 |  523 |    93 |  535 |    95
1992.....|    411,528 |     36.2 |  483 |   120 |  561 |   140 |  537 |   129 |  605 |   113 |     654 |   128 |     462 |    82 |  610 |   117 |  525 |    92 |  536 |    95
1993.... |    400,246 |     34.4 |  481 |   117 |  557 |   140 |  541 |   129 |  606 |   114 |     662 |   133 |     462 |    80 |  602 |   115 |  516 |    94 |  536 |    97
1994.... |\1\ 399,395 |     34.2 |  479 |   116 |  553 |   139 |  545 |   129 |  620 |   116 |     627 |   113 |\2\  493 |   104 |  601 |   115 |  517 |    95 |  538 |    96
         |            |          |      |       |      |       |      |       |      |       |         |       |         |       |      |       |      |       |      |
1995.... |\1\ 389,539 |     33.6 |  477 |   115 |  553 |   140 |  544 |   131 |  622 |   116 |     675 |   138 |\2\  488 |   102 |  596 |   113 |  513 |    96 |  544 |    98
1996.... |\1\ 376,013 |     32.3 |  473 |   114 |  558 |   139 |  549 |   131 |  614 |   114 |     678 |   135 |\2\  489 |   104 |  604 |   119 |  512 |    97 |  547 |    99
1997.... |\1\ 376,062 |     32.1 |  472 |   113 |  562 |   139 |  548 |   129 |  620 |   115 |     684 |   143 |\2\  487 |   103 |  602 |   114 |  525 |   100 |  554 |    99
1998.....|\1\ 364,554 |     30.8 |  471 |   113 |  569 |   141 |  543 |   133 |  628 |   113 |     686 |   137 |\2\  477 |   100 |  609 |   118 |  530 |   100 |  563 |   100
1999\3\..|    396,330 |     33.0 |  468 |   114 |  565 |   143 |  542 |   133 |  626 |   114 |     684 |   137 |    ---  |  ---  |  604 |   115 |  527 |   100 |  559 |    99
2000\4\..|    363,932 |     29.4 |  465 |   116 |  578 |   147 |  562 |   141 |  629 |   114 |     686 |   133 |    ---  |  ---  | ---  |  ---  |  530 |    99 |  563 |    98
_________|____________|__________|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______|_________|_______|_________|_______|______|_______|______|_______|______|_______

†Not applicable.
---Not available.

\1\Total includes examinees who received no score on one or more General Test measures.
\2\Data reported for 1994 through 1998 are from the revised education test.
\3\Subject test score data for 1999 reflect the three-year average for all examinees who tested between October 1, 1996 and September 30, 1999 and are not directly comparable with previous years.
\4\Subject test score data for 2000 reflect the three-year average for all examinees who tested between October 1, 1997 and September 30, 2000 and are not directly comparable with previous years.

NOTE: GRE scores for the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections range from 200 to 800. The range of scores is different for the various subject tests - from 200 to 990 - although the range for any particular subject test is usually smaller. The education subject test was administered for the final time in April 1998. The engineering subject test was administered for the final time in April 2001. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: Graduate Record Examination Board, Examinee and Score Trends for the GRE General Test, various years; and A Summary of Data Collected From Graduate Record Examinations Test-Takers During 1986-87; Guide to the Use of Scores, various years; Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Performance on the GRE General Test, various years; unpublished data; and U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Completions" surveys. (This table was prepared July 2002.)


2002 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest