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Whether you're a first-time GRE test taker or you've taken the GRE before, studying with a GRE prep course that's the best fit for your learning style is essential to your success. This one decision could truly make or break your GRE score goals.
But you may not have the time to try out several GRE prep courses, especially when you have a limited time to prepare for the GRE. So, to help you find a GRE course that's well suited to your prep needs, we've purchased and spent weeks thoroughly reviewing several GRE prep courses on the market.
After reading this in-depth review article, you'll be able to identify a GRE prep course that can help you achieve a high GRE score and gain an admission to your dream graduate program.
Our GRE Prep Course Winners
- Best Overall: The Princeton Review
- Most Flexible: Magoosh
- Most Affordable: PrepScholar
- Most Adaptive: Achievable
- Best for Business: Manhattan Prep
Each of the winners is explored in detail in the sections below. The reviews include the key aspects of each prep course and the pros and cons.
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Detailed Video Review
Watch the video below to see a comprehensive first hand review of each of these GRE prep courses. Unlike other review websites, we actually purchase the products we recommend and spend weeks vetting these courses before we make our recommendations.
Best Overall: The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review GRE Course Video Lesson
Hands down, Princeton Review offers the Best GRE Prep Courses, mainly because they have so many options. Just like their GRE prep book, these courses were originally designed for high-achievers. However, the courses also have options for people with different skill levels. The one problem with the live classes is that the class size tends to be large compared to other companies, but even that can’t set TPR back. The questions perfectly mirror the difficulty of the real test and the video lessons are engaging. Plus, you have so many choices to find the right fit for you! For instance, take a look at some of the following courses which are available in person and/or online and come at a range of price points:
Best Bang for Your Buck: GRE 10 Points+
Pros
- Available online
- Students are guaranteed to increase their score by at least 10 points if they complete one of the learning paths
- 470+ drills and 30+ hours of adaptive recorded video lessons
- Live Online math sessions
- Accelerated [4 weeks], Standard [8 weeks], or Extended [12 weeks] learning paths
Cons
- Only available online
Our top choice: Guaranteed 162+ Score
Pros
- 45 hours of live instruction by Princeton Review GRE Experts [Math: 25 hours; Verbal: 20 hours]
- 20 hours of Supplemental sessions with practice questions geared towards key topics
- 4,400+ drills and practice questions
- 8 full-length practice tests
- Includes TPR Quant 162+ Manual and TPR Verbal 162+ Manual
Cons
- Only available online
- More math practice than verbal practice
Best for the Experts: Guaranteed 165+ Tutoring
Pros
- Available in-person and online
- Most personalized approach to studying for the GRE
- Score a 165+ on the GRE Quant and Verbal guaranteed - or get your money back
Cons
- Expensive
- Have to schedule 1:1 tutoring sessions and study on your own in between
Best for Beginners: GRE Fundamentals
Pros
- 24 hours of live instruction, which covers content knowledge and test-taking strategies
- 180+ hours of total instruction and practice
- 8 computer adaptive practice tests
- Higher score guaranteed
Cons
- Doesn’t guarantee a specific increase in score
Most Flexible: Self-Paced Course
Pros
- 61+ online drills and interactive lessons
- 2,570+ practice questions
- Adaptive learning video lessons
- Guarantee: If you are not happy with your score on the actual GRE, you are welcome to repeat the course at no charge
Now that we've covered our top choice for the best GRE prep courses, we'd like to review the winners in some of the other categories. The following courses were great for their specific area of focus:
Most Flexible: Magoosh
Magoosh GRE Prep Course Quant Video Lesson
Magoosh offers students the option to gain access to all of the best GRE prep content for either one month or six months, depending on the plan they choose. In addition, the best option is the Magoosh Premium + Classes. The GRE online classes by Magoosh are drop-ins for students who like to work in groups. Those who choose the Premium + Classes plan will get access to unlimited live drop-in classes for six months for $179. On their site, they give an example class schedule for the week, which includes 5 classes for the week. Topics range from AWA Argument Essay: How to Identify and Analyze Flaws, to a live Algebra Workshop.
Pros
- Low cost
- Lots of class options
- 30 hours of on-demand recordings
- 1600+ practice questions
- Custom study schedules
- 5 + point increase guarantee
Cons
- Score guarantee is 5 points on the overall score
- If a student has only a math subscription, the guarantee is +2 points; this is the same for the verbal subscription
Most Affordable: PrepScholar
PrepScholar GRE Prep Course Showing Text Based Verbal Reasoning Lesson
Prep Scholar has a few different plan options, but the most popular choice is $38 for one year of access. If you want unlimited access, you can upgrade to the $345 plan, which has the added benefit of personalized scoring for four essays. The company offers a score increase guarantee, over 150 hours of interactive lessons, and even a free 5-day trial so students can decide if this plan is right for them.
Pros
- 7 + point score increase guarantee
- 150+ Hours of Interactive Lessons and Strategies
- Separate Core and Advanced question sets
- 20-Part, 300 Question Vocab Course and Math Cheat Sheet
- 5-day free trial
Cons
- Only 2 full-length practice tests
Most Adaptive: Achievable
Achievable GRE prep might be a lesser-known company, but it is growing quickly due to its advanced technology. The cost is $199 for a full year of access to the adaptive learning environment. They use machine learning to instantly grade essays and their memory tracking software helps students study more effectively. Think of this as the “smarter” way to study. Achievable includes an infinite amount of GRE math questions, an online textbook, and 200+ verbal questions.
Pros
- Easy to read, mobile-friendly online textbook
- An infinite amount of GRE quantitative questions
- 200+ high-quality hand-crafted verbal / reading comprehension questions.
Cons
- No video lessons
- No live classes
Best for Business: Manhattan Prep
Sample Quant Video Lesson on Manhattan Prep GRE
The longest GRE prep course offered by Manhattan Prep is the MBA-focused program. This is great for students who are focused on business and want their GRE scores to be competitive for that population. Even though the cost of the course is high [$1,599], one excellent feature is that Manhattan Prep offers 0% APR financing for their courses. This can bring the monthly cost of the MBA-focused GRE prep program down to $134/month.
Pros
- Financing options with 0% APR
- Small, personalized classes
- Available in-person or online
- Free 1 week trial for courses
- Interact for GRE [on-demand video lessons]
- 100,000+ practice problems
- 66 interactive video lessons
- Detailed video explanations
- 6 full-length, computer-adaptive GRE practice tests
Cons
- Expensive [total cost]
- No score guarantee
Other Good GRE Prep Courses
There are tons of GRE prep courses available out there, and even though we tried to objectively rank the best options, not everyone likes the same methods. Below we include a couple of Honorable Mentions that fell short of making it in the "best" category but are nonetheless high-quality GRE prep courses:
Target Test Prep
Target Test Prep GRE Prep Course Dashboard
Target Test Prep is a subscription-based program, with three plan options. First, there is the GRE flexible preparation for $99 /month. Then there is the GRE Dedicated Study for $299 for four months. Finally, there is a six-month access plan for $399. The only real difference between the plans is the payment structure. While the monthly subscription requires multiple payments, the other two plans have a one-time billing structure.
For a limited time, you can save 30% on all Target test Prep GRE plans using our exclusive discount code SojourningScholarGRE30.
Pros
- 8 point + score guarantee
- Affordable and flexible
- 5 official GRE practice tests
- 40 study units
Cons
- No live classes
- No hardcopy prep books
- No automatic payments
Kaplan GRE Prep Courses
Kaplan GRE Prep Course Video Lesson
Kaplan offers the GRE prep online course for $999, an on-demand course for $449, and an in-person course for $1,199. While the options are definitely flexible, the major problem I noticed with the Kaplan courses was a tech issue with the actual site related to having too many tabs open. I had to close most of the tabs on my computer to even access the pages with the details about the courses, which probably isn’t ideal for students who are trying to refer to a bunch of resources to study.
Pros
- 40+ hours of instruction
- 5,000+ practice questions
- Hardcopy of the Kaplan GRE prep book
- Higher score guarantee
Cons
- Extra stipulations on higher score guarantee, and difficult to find details
- Tech issues on the actual site
- High price and lots of upselling for “plus” plans
How We Picked the Best GRE Prep Courses
We chose the best GRE prep courses based on certain criteria. We considered all of the following factors when ranking the courses:
- Cost - Some students want to find the most affordable GRE prep course [the most bang for their buck].
- Structure/Format - Whether students prefer in-person classes or online, there is certainly a GRE prep course that will meet their needs.
- Flexibility - The number of course options/plans available to students is also an important factor in rating GRE prep courses.
- Score Guarantee - Everyone loves when there's a score guarantee. Many of the courses that we rated will guarantee some sort of improvement in a student's score.
- Specialization - Depending on what you studied in undergraduate and what you’re looking to study in grad school, you might need to focus more on specific aspects of the GRE. Some of these courses have paths geared towards different areas of study.
- Personalization - How does the course adapt based on your progress? If you’re struggling in a specific area, does this GRE prep course allow you to personalize your study plan?
- Resources Available - Practice tests, question banks, online classes, videos, textbooks, and more
- Time Commitment - These courses can range from one month to a year depending on the path a student chooses.
Grab Our Free Guide - Roadmap to Studying in the USA
Everything you must know as a prospective international student, from choosing your school to your first day of classes!
Final Thoughts
At Sojourning Scholar, we know that the GRE can be a barrier to attending graduate school. So many students get overwhelmed by the difficult exam and the amount of prep they need to put in to get a good enough score for their dream schools. In fact, lots of students will try to look for grad schools that don’t require the GRE first, which can limit your options a lot, because the test is daunting. But, it doesn’t have to be.
It is also worth noting that the GRE is not the only factor that contributes to grad school admission decisions. Admissions counselors nan consider everything, from undergraduate grades, recommendations, and research experience, to work experience and more.
Whether you decide to study on your own, check out the best GRE YouTube channels, use one of the best GRE prep books, get a tutor, or enroll in one of the best GRE prep courses, there are plenty of ways to boost your score on the GRE. Set the bar high for yourself and learn what you are capable of achieving.
If you are trying to figure out what your optimal GRE score should be for your target graduate program, check out our article on What is a good GRE score? In this article, we review and analyze the average GRE scores by year, state, school, and more.
Which is best coaching for GRE online?
Best GRE Online Coaching.
Magoosh – Online Test Prep..
The Princeton Review – Test Prep Tutoring..
Kaplan Test Prep – Practice Tests, Tutoring & Prep Courses..
PrepScholar – Online Prep..
Manhattan Prep – Test Prep..
Economist Education – Online Test Prep..
ETS GRE – Prep Online..
Achievable – Prep Online..
What is the best GRE prep class?
Here are the top seven GRE prep courses you can enroll in..
Magoosh. This online test prep company provides video lessons, live online GRE classes, and full-length tests that simulate the real GRE. ... .
The Princeton Review. ... .
Kaplan. ... .
Manhattan Prep. ... .
PrepScholar. ... .
The Economist. ... .
Achievable..
Is it worth paying for a GRE prep course?
Is it worth paying for a GRE prep course? It can definitely be worth the cost for some students, though a GRE prep course is not right for everyone. If you have the budget for it and think the value of a prep course will benefit you, it's a good idea to enroll in a GRE prep course.
Is Kaplan or Princeton Review better for GRE prep?
While both courses are extremely similar in many ways, the main difference between the Princeton Review and Kaplan GRE prep courses is that Princeton Review provides more practice tests and live instruction, while Kaplan offers stellar on-demand video lessons.