Do philosophy majors do well in law school?

Asked by: Jamison Fisher  |  Last update: January 5, 2026
Score: 4.1/5 (70 votes)

There can be little doubt that the philosophy major provides the best preparation for an education and career in the law. First, philosophy consistently ranks first among pre-law majors in average LSAT score, surely the most important criterion for admission to law schools.

Is philosophy a good major for law school?

Yes, philosophy is often one of the best undergraduate programs for prospective law students. A great deal of philosophy focuses on argumentation and logic: constructing and deconstructing arguments, assessing the strength of arguments, how to provide counterarguments, etc.

Do philosophy majors do well on the LSAT?

Philosophy Majors Do Very Well on the LSAT

Philosophy majors tend to do better on the LSAT — which is the law school entrance exam — than students in many other popular majors.

What major gets into law school the most?

About 80 percent of law school applicants with an arts and humanities major get accepted. Majoring in this course of study exposes you to wide-ranging coursework that law schools desire —applicants with well-rounded knowledge.

Is psychology or philosophy better for law school?

It is easy to see why admissions committees at law schools tend to favor philosophy majors. Perhaps more than anything else, law students and attorneys need to be skilled at evaluating the strength of arguments and counterarguments.

Philosophy and the law: a formative experience

20 related questions found

Can you become a lawyer with a philosophy degree?

Yes, philosophy is a great choice for pre-law. A significant number of students in philosophy are interested in law school, as this career choice is a natural fit. In fact, philosophy is one of the best majors for law school prep—but there is no one universal pre-law major.

What is the best major before law school?

They will also let you begin honing skills you'll rely on heavily throughout law school and your legal career.
  • Criminal Justice. This may be an obvious choice, but this is one of the best majors for law school. ...
  • Political Science. ...
  • History. ...
  • Psychology. ...
  • Philosophy. ...
  • Linguistics. ...
  • Communications. ...
  • Mathematics.

What major does best on LSAT?

Statistics majors had the highest median LSAT at 168 out of a possible 180, followed by math majors at 167. Biophysics and computer science majors tied for No. 3 with median scores of 165 with biomedical majors not far behind.

What degree is most common at Harvard?

The most popular majors overall in Harvard are Political Science and Government, Economics, Social Sciences, Evolutionary Biology, and Psychology. Both men and women tend to lean towards those fields of study, but a majority of men are found in Physics, Math, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Statistics.

Which field in law makes the most money?

Trial Lawyer

There is the most competition arising profession in the legal career and also the most paying one. The salary and other benefits may vary according to the job location and relevance of the case. Delhi and Mumbai are the two high paying job locations.

How many philosophy majors go to law school?

Business and criminal justice majors had lower LSAT scores and GPAs overall.” Philosophy majors scored sixth best in terms of LSAT and GPA scores. They were also admitted to law school at a higher percent than any other major — 75 percent, according to an analysis of data provided by Muller.

Is it smart to major in philosophy?

Philosophy majors develop valuable career skills, such as reading and understanding complex materials, making logical arguments, explaining ideas clearly in oral and written form, and thinking about things from multiple perspectives.

Is a philosophy minor useful for law school?

Philosophy majors, on average, perform better on the LSAT than any other Liberal Arts major, including those in criminal justice and political science. In fact, according to The National Jurist (2014), a higher percentage of philosophy majors are admitted to law school than any other major.

Is philosophy a respected degree?

Philosophy is a very useful and respected degree, and certainly one with which you can make money. Philosophers turn their attention to more than just the history of philosophy.

What jobs do philosophy majors get?

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
  • Business analyst.
  • Chaplain.
  • Civil Service Fast Streamer.
  • Health service manager.
  • Human resources officer.
  • Local government officer.
  • Marketing executive.
  • Newspaper journalist.

Is philosophy a good pre-med major?

In recent years Philosophy majors have had the highest and second highest rates of acceptance of any major to medical school, according to the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) book, and their rate is well above that of Biology majors!

What is the least popular major at Harvard?

Quantitative Social Sciences, Math and Computation, and Arts were the most popular joint concentration options, while Language, Literature, and Religion; History; and Engineering were the least popular.

What is Yale's most popular major?

The Most Popular Yale College Majors
  • History (200)
  • Political Science (145)
  • Economics (128)
  • English (107)
  • Biology (98)

What undergraduate degree is best for Harvard law?

HLS does not require applicants to pursue any particular undergraduate degree program. Instead, the school accepts students from all different undergraduate degree programs. The school prefers that students have a broad college education instead of taking many courses that are designed to provide vocational training.

What is the most accepted major for law school?

Here are a few of the best college majors for law school:
  • History. By studying history, you can develop an understanding of how certain laws and regulations were developed. ...
  • Political science. ...
  • Psychology. ...
  • Criminal justice. ...
  • English. ...
  • Economics. ...
  • Philosophy.

What major scores highest on MCAT?

Interestingly, students who pursue math and statistics, humanities, and physical sciences as pre-med majors tend to achieve higher scores on the MCAT than those who take other majors. While there are exceptions, these three majors are definitely good majors for pre-med students.

Is a 170 LSAT good enough?

Another commonly used grouping is the T-14, or law schools ranked in the top 14 by U.S. News when delineating top-tier law schools. A good LSAT score for T-14 law schools is 170–171 or higher.

Do law schools prefer certain majors?

Unlike medical school, which requires certain prerequisite courses, law school doesn't require that you major in anything specific or take certain classes before applying.

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Patent Attorney Salary

Patent attorneys are the highest-paid type of lawyers, with an average salary of $185,351, ranging from $119,88 to $285,530. Various factors contribute to a patent attorney's average salary, including experience, firm, location, and subject matter expertise.

What is the hardest law degree to get?

The hardest law school to get into is Yale Law School, with an acceptance rate of 5.5%. Followed by: Stanford Law School: 7% acceptance rate. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School: 3.8% acceptance rate.