College of Education Waives GRE Test Scores for Admissions to Graduate Programs

The NC State College of Education is waiving requirements for GRE test scores for those applying to enroll in any of the college’s master’s and doctoral degree programs for the 2021-2022 academic year.

“We think the times demand our action, and this is the right thing to do,” said John K. Lee, Ph.D., the college’s associate dean for faculty and academic affairs.

Lee said the decision was based on two equal factors. The first is to ensure applicants would not be burdened by in-person testing or any arrangements they would need to make for home testing, as well as any financial barriers related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second, there is evidence that suggests the GRE may not be predictive of graduate student success, particularly for first-generation, low-income and minoritized student populations, as well as evidence of racial basis in the test.

“We have been concerned about the use of the GREs for many years, as we haven’t found that the scores predict the success in our graduate students. Given our goal of making our college more diverse, equitable and inclusive, we plan to initiate other options, such as interviewing students, to better understand students’ goals, talents, passion and research interests,” said Meg Blanchard, Ph.D., professor of science education and chair of the Graduate Studies Committee.

The faculty, administrators and staff will continue to assess the use of the GRE test for admissions to the College of Education for subsequent years.