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GMAT Scores By State (2015-2019)

Which states score best? Think densely populated and urban…for the most part. Aside from the District of Columbia (622), the highest mean scores belong to Massachusetts (599), Illinois (590), and New York (581). The biggest outlier is unquestionably Alaska, which ranks 4th overall among “states” at 576. Still, Alaska’s performance is tempered by participation: just 31 prospective students completed the GMAT in 2019. California, which is responsible for nearly 15% of all GMAT tests, scored a 571 average in 2019, good for the 7th-highest score.

Another trend emerges when it comes to the lowest GMAT means. These states tend to be more rural and southern. New Mexico test-takers produced the second-lowest average at 466, followed by Alabama (479), West Virginia (483), and Arkansas (490). Texas, the second-largest state in the union, ranked middle-of-the-pack with a 536, beating out Florida by six points.

The volume of tests also impacted momentum. Over the past year, for example, Alaska enjoyed the biggest mean improvement, going from a 530 to a 576 average. South Dakota (+33), Montana (+28), and North Dakota (+24) also showed major gains. The problem? Combined, these states accounted for 245 GMATs – or roughly the same number as Hawai’i. As a result, their small numbers make them prone to wild annual swings. Still, Massachusetts (3,510 GMATs) and Maryland (1,113 GMATs) each managed to achieve a seven-point improvement over the past year. At the same time, Louisiana, whose 480 average in 2018 would’ve been the lowest score this year, jumped 13 points to 493 – with 801 tests taken to boot. One trend to watch: beware the Eastern Seaboard. Some of the biggest one-year declines can be found in Delaware, Rhode Island, and South Carolina (though not as large as Vermont and West Virginia, whose means each fell by 24 points).

Ironically, Alaska has also made the biggest gains since 2015, making the exact 530-to-576 leap as it did over the past year. On the East Coast, the GMAT means in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maryland have skyrocketed by mean 35, 32, and 27 points respectively. Among high population states, Illinois has distinguished itself with a 26-point rise (with neighboring Indiana boasting a 25-point improvement). New York and Texas tied with a 24 point improvement, followed by New Jersey posting a respectable 22 point boost.