Do law schools care about undergrad GPA?
Asked by: Prof. Geraldine Stehr III | Last update: January 9, 2026Score: 4.4/5 (50 votes)
While law schools consider applicants' letters of recommendation, personal statements, work experience and extracurricular activities, many experts say undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores are often the most heavily weighed factors in admissions decisions.
Do law schools look at undergrad GPA?
When it comes to the primary GPA that law schools look at, it's your undergrad GPA. A grad GPA is nice, but it doesn't replace or get combined with the UGPA. A low UGPA will not be bolstered by a high grad GPA.
What is the lowest GPA a law school will accept?
What Is the Lowest GPA For Law School? Since the majority of law schools require a GPA of 3.0 or higher, anything below a 3.0 is considered very low. Some of the absolute lowest GPA requirements for schools are 2.80.
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.
Do law schools care where you went for undergrad?
While the reputation of your undergraduate college can have some impact on law school admissions, it's far from being the most important factor that admissions committees will consider.
Does my undergrad degree matter for law school? | LSAT Demon Daily, Ep. 114
Can I get into Columbia Law with a 3.5 GPA?
Columbia Law GPA: Requirements
While there is no GPA requirement, examining class profile data can help you compare your academic performance to admitted students: 25th percentile GPA: 3.81. Median GPA: 3.90. 75th percentile GPA: 3.97.
Is 174 a good LSAT?
So, a great score on the LSAT is a 172, but more than 100,000 people take the LSAT every year and only 1% score 172 or higher. For the top 50 law schools, the median LSAT score is between 164 and 174. A good LSAT score for top tier(defined by T14 schools for this article) law schools is between 171 and 174.
How rare is a 176 LSAT?
Less than 1% of test takers score a 176. It's a very hard thing to do. Don't let this sub skew your perception of what's realistic.
Is a 3.3 GPA bad for law school?
A low GPA for law schools will entirely depend on your goals. If your GPA is at or below a school's 25th percentile, your GPA will be considered low for that school. So generally, if you're trying to get into the top schools, a GPA below 3.6 will be considered low.
Can I get into Columbia with a 3.7 GPA?
Columbia University does not have a strict minimum GPA requirement for undergraduate admissions. However, admitted students typically have very high GPAs, ranging from 3.7 to 4.0, with an average GPA of 3.9.
Which Canadian law school is easiest to get into?
- University of Manitoba Robson Hall Law School – 16.1%
- University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law – 12.9%
- University of Ottawa Law School– 12.14%
- University of Saskatchewan College of Law – 11.25%
- University of Victoria Faculty of Law – 10.7%
Is a 146 on the LSAT good?
A 144-145 is generally considered to be the lowest acceptable score to attend law school. The median LSAT score is around 151-152, so 144-145 is significantly lower than this.
What is the lowest GPA accepted to Harvard law?
There's no lowest GPA but you probably won't get into Harvard with a 2.5 GPA. Your GPA still needs to be somewhat competitive with the median GPA. That said, you can get into Harvard Law School even if your GPA is 3.82 or lower.
Do law schools look at dropped classes?
However, from a law-school-admissions perspective, it is a good idea to think carefully about the decision to withdraw from a course. Law school admission officers look beyond your GPA to carefully scrutinize your undergraduate transcripts. One or two withdrawals typically do not present much of an issue.
Can a high LSAT make up for low GPA?
A strong LSAT score can compensate for a low GPA, so it is well worth the investment of time and effort it takes to do well. Many competitive law schools screen applicants using a weighted index of their grades and LSAT scores, so extra points on the LSAT may effectively boost your GPA.
Do most people go to law school right out of undergrad?
In fact, only approximately one-third of law students nationwide go straight from college to law school. That means two-thirds, a decisive majority, take some amount of time between college and law school.
Will a 3.5 get me into law school?
Law schools generally require that you have specified minimum collegiate GPA and LSAT scores to qualify for admission. Harvard, Yale, and the other top five-ranked law schools require that you have a GPA of at least 3.50 and an LSAT score of 170.
Is a 168 on the LSAT good?
“If you want to put yourself in the best position to be admitted to a school, you want to be at or above their LSAT median,” Hicks-Jaco says. For example, at Duke University School of Law in North Carolina, 2024 scores in the 25th-75th percentile ranged from 168-171, with 170 as the median score.
Is a 3.25 GPA good or bad?
In general, a 3.0 GPA or higher is widely accepted by college advisors, internship programs, and potential employers. Anything above a 3.5 is often considered outstanding and may lead to honors designations at graduation and special distinctions/designations on your actual diploma.
What did Elle Woods get on her LSAT?
Elle Woods, a fictional character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the movie Legally Blonde, is known for her remarkable LSAT score—179 out of 180. Portrayed as a stereotypical "valley girl," she embarks on a journey to Harvard Law School in the movie that has since become a cult favorite.
Is a 136 LSAT bad?
As previously stated, the score range for any LSAT exam is 120 to 180, but the average score is about 150. However, most of the top ten law schools require a candidate to have scored at least 165 on the LSAT.
Is a 180 LSAT perfect?
Enrolling in the LSAT Prep Course is a useful way to help you achieve these gains. If you're aiming higher, a scaled score of 164 lands you in the 90th percentile. Even a perfect score of 180 usually allows for a couple of mistakes.
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.
Will a 180 LSAT get you in anywhere?
LSAT takers can score anywhere from 120 to 180. With that big of a range, what kind of score should you aim for? Realistically, you should try to get a score of at least 150. That's the score that will get you into any accredited law school.
Is a 138 LSAT bad?
“If you have a 2.3 GPA and a 138 LSAT, you — unfortunately — are very unlikely to be able to make it through law school and pass the bar exam after graduation.