Do law schools average LSAT scores or take the highest?
Asked by: Ms. Providenci Schinner Jr. | Last update: December 17, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (58 votes)
The ABA requires law schools to report score information based on an admitted student's highest score, and therefore, that is the score to which we give the most weight.
Does the LSAT take your highest score?
This is because law schools used to average LSAT scores for students who took the test more than once. That is no longer the case. This changed in 2006, and now law schools simply accept your highest test score, so students won't have to worry about scores being averaged out.
Does LSAT score correlate with law school success?
According to its creators, the LSAT has a predictive validity of 60%, meaning 60% of the time, its score is, in fact, correlated to how someone performs in their first year in law school. From a predictive validity standpoint, 60% is relatively high.
What is more important for law school GPA or LSAT?
In general terms, it can be said that law schools value LSAT scores more than they do undergraduate GPA, but whether or not this statement applies to a given institution and how by much depends on the school.
Do law schools look at the highest LSAT score on Reddit?
You're probably hearing mixed things because schools used to send all scores for rankings purposes, but they don't do that anymore. Only the highest will count.
Do Law Schools Average LSAT Scores? | LSAT Demon Daily, Ep. 371
Do law schools take the highest LSAT or average?
"In the case of multiple test scores, data show that the average score is generally the most useful in predicting law school performance. However, we may place greater weight on a high score if you provide compelling information about why that score is a better indication of your potential.
What percent of people get above 170 on LSAT?
The LSAT is scored on a bell curve, ranging from 120 to 180. On recent tests, the hump of the curve has centered around 153. Percentiles vary slightly between tests, but generally around 25% of test-takers score 160 or higher, 5% score 170 or higher, and 1% score 175 or higher. Only one in 1,000 test-takers scores 180.
Is 158 a bad LSAT score?
As mentioned above, the average LSAT score nationally is a 152. Generally speaking, a score of 160 and above is necessary to guarantee admission into top-100 schools like Tulane, UC Hastings, or Case Western Reserve.
What is a respectable law school GPA?
A good GPA for law school generally falls between 3.5 and 4.0. However, top-tier institutions like Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, and Yale Law School often admit students with median GPAs closer to 3.9 or higher.
Do law schools look at LSAT percentiles?
It's common to talk in terms of LSAT scores, but law schools also look at your score percentile. Small LSAT score gains can net big results.
What was Obama's LSAT score?
The easiest to predict, by far, is Barack Obama's score, mostly because we have some data. Based on admissions records, we can deduce — somewhat reliably — that Barry-O scored between the 94th and 98th percentile on his LSAT. Using today's grading system, that would place him somewhere around a 170.
What is the best predictor of law school success?
THE LSAT IS PREDICTIVE, BUT NOT RELEVANT
To its credit, the LSAT is meant to predict how well a student will perform during their first year in law school. And perhaps more than any other available metric, the LSAT is best at doing this.
Do law schools care how many times you took the LSAT?
Law schools do not average the scores for admission, but we always look at performance if you've taken the test more than once. Ideally, it would be best if every applicant could secure their ideal LSAT score on the first attempt, but that is often not the case.
How rare is a 160 on the LSAT?
A student scoring a 180 is in the 99.9 percentile because the student scored better than 99.9% of test-takers. A student scoring a 160 is in the 74.8 percentile because the student scored better than 74.8% of test-takers. You can hover over the blue outline to see a tooltip for all each LSAT/percentile combinations.
What LSAT score did Elle Woods get?
When she applied to this school, she had a 4.0 GPA with a 179 on the LSAT, the two most important things when applying to law school. The average LSAT score for students applying to Harvard is 174, meaning she got above the average.
How bad is a 155 on the LSAT?
According to U.S. News, law school admissions experts recommend striving for at least a 150; however, for a top-ranking law school, you should aim for a 160 or better. For a Top 10 law school, a 170 or more is desired. Of course, this all depends on which schools you are applying to.
Is a 3.7 GPA too low for law school?
The average GPA for law school is between 3.91. However, like LSAT scores, it's important to understand that the specific average GPA can differ depending on the law school and its level of competitiveness. Top-ranking law schools often expect higher average GPAs, typically ranging from 3.8 to 4.0 or even higher.
What is the average debt for law students?
The average law school graduate owes $130,000 in student loan debt. 71% of law school students graduate in debt. $119,292 is the average amount students borrow just to attend law school. $92,267 is the average amount borrowed to attend one of the top 10 law schools in terms of salary-to-debt ratio.
What are softs for law school?
Softs refer to everything in your application that isn't "hard" data.
How rare is a 175 LSAT?
For a top five law school, an LSAT score of 175 and above increases your chances of being admitted and being awarded a full scholarship by the school. Such a score also puts you in the 99th percentile of LSAT takers, making you a rare and highly coveted law school candidate.
Is 172 LSAT good for Harvard?
As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School.
Can I get into a top law school with a 155 LSAT?
From your raw scores, the test is graded on an LSAT score scale from 120-180. The average LSAT score is about 150. To get into a top 14 law school, you need to score above 166, and to get into a top 50 law school, you need 153 or above.
What is the average LSAT score for first time takers?
LSAT scores range from 120 to 180. First-time LSAT test-takers score an average of 151 out of 180. The median LSAT score of first-year JD students is 158.5. Among first-year JD students, 160.9 is considered a high score (75th percentile), and 154.8 is considered a low score (25th percentile)
How rare is a 180 LSAT?
How Hard Is It To Get A Perfect Score On The LSAT? According to LSAC, only 119 test-takers out of nearly 60,000 achieved this in 2022. So when you ask, “How many people get a 180 on the LSAT?” the answer highlights the rarity and difficulty of this achievement.
What is a bad LSAT score?
While you may be able to apply and even be accepted into a law school with a lower LSAT score, there is a cut-off for acceptable application scores. If you are consistently scoring lower than 145, you may need to consider significant studying and a retake before applying to law schools.