Do law schools look at GPA or LSAT?
Asked by: Dr. Erwin Gusikowski PhD | Last update: October 29, 2025Score: 4.2/5 (53 votes)
Strong Academic Record and LSAT Score And if you're still an undergraduate student, put in the time and effort now to do as well as you can in your classes. That being said, law schools often look at your GPA and LSAT within the context of the rest of your application.
Do law schools look more at LSAT or GPA?
Standardized Test Scores
If you have taken the LSAT multiple times, law schools will generally consider your highest LSAT score. Each law school combines your cumulative GPA with your LSAT score to come up with an index score.
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 look at transcript or LSAC GPA?
Law schools use the LSAC GPA to evaluate your academic ability and potential success in law school. The higher your LSAC GPA, the more competitive you will be as an applicant.
Does LSAT outweigh GPA?
Yes, many schools with holistic admissions prioritize LSAT scores and other qualities over strictly GPA. Check individual schools for their approach.
How I Got Into Law School With a LOW LSAT and Gpa || Releasing my LSAT || My Admission Story
Is a 3.2 GPA bad for law school?
So generally, if you're trying to get into the top schools, a GPA below 3.6 will be considered low. But to answer the question what GPA do you need to get into law school, any law school, then the answer is at least a 2.5. That is realistically the lowest GPA you can have to get into law school.
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.
Can I get into law school with a 3.0 GPA?
Considering students are generally advised to score a GPA of 3.5 in college to get into law school, a 3.0 is typically considered low. However, it all depends on the schools you're applying to! As discussed earlier, several schools consider a 3.0 to be within their competitive range.
What is a perfect LSAT score?
The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.
Does LSAT matter more than GPA reddit?
The average school weighs LSAT 3-4 times as heavily as GPA. Some schools, like Berkeley, consider GPA more important. But it goes both ways, so apply broadly. GPA should be an even smaller comparative part of your application, being 5 years out of undergrad.
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 163 a good LSAT score?
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.
How hard is it to get a 170 on the 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 171 a good LSAT score?
A good LSAT score for top tier(defined by T14 schools for this article) law schools is between 171 and 174. This means that a student in the 99th percentile of test takers with an LSAT score of 172 will still be at or below the median LSAT for 6 top-tier law schools.
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 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.
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.
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 was Elle Woods' GPA?
In the film, Legally Blonde, Woods is a sorority sister living at the Delta Nu House at the fictional California University Los Angeles (CULA) (USC in the novel, UCLA in the musical) where she studies in Fashion Merchandising and maintains a 4.0 GPA.
Can I get into Harvard with a 2.7 GPA?
It's exceptionally challenging with a GPA below 3.0, but not impossible. Focus on other aspects of your application to compensate for a low GPA.
What is the easiest law school to get into?
- Creighton University Law School – 79%
- University of Wyoming Law School – 78%
- Marquette University Law School – 77%
- Loyola New Orleans Law School – 76%
- Drake University Law School – 75%
- Oklahoma City University School of Law – 72%
What is a Tier 14 law school?
The T14 law schools are the top 14 law schools in U.S. News and World Report's annual Best Law Schools rankings. This is the very tip-top of the top law schools. The T14 law schools usually include schools such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Stanford Law School, to name a few.
Is GPA or LSAT more important?
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.
What was Elle Woods' LSAT score?
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.