Does law school GPA correlate with bar passage?
Asked by: Dr. Gina Stark | Last update: September 14, 2025Score: 4.4/5 (11 votes)
The first point to note is one that is fairly well known among those who study bar performance, which is that law school GPA (whether first year or cumulative) is much more predictive of bar performance than incoming predictors like UGPA or LSAT.
What is the correlation between law school GPA and bar passage?
The predictive power of law school GPAs is extraordinary. In Georgakopoulos' study, first-time bar exam takers with law school GPAs higher than 3.2 passed the bar at a rate of 95 percent, whereas those with GPAs below 2.6 passed the bar at a rate of less than 10 percent.
Is 3.7 a bad GPA for law school?
A good standard for above average law schools tends to be a 160 LSAT and a 3.5 GPA. However even amongst that people will tell you a 3.7 and a 165 is better. Really just depends on you. Many good law schools ( well above average) will take a 3.5 160. In my opinion average law schools are around the 100 mark.
Is there a correlation between LSAT score and law school grades?
Ultimately, the LSAT is meant to predict how well a student will perform during their first year in law school. 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.
Is a 3.2 a bad law school GPA?
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.
Here's What Taking the Bar Exam Is Really Like
Is 2.9 GPA too low for law school?
1. 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.
Can I get into Harvard law with 3.2 GPA?
That said, you can get into Harvard Law School even if your GPA is 3.82 or lower.
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.
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.
Does LSAT predict bar passage?
strong relationship between LSAT scores and the probability of first-time bar passage. This is consistent with the “credential” effect we have discussed; usually higher LSAT corresponds to a higher group rate of first-time bar passage.
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.
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.
What are softs for law school?
Softs refer to everything in your application that isn't "hard" data.
Do law schools look at all LSAT scores or just the highest?
"The LSAC report for an applicant who has sat for the LSAT more than once will show every score or cancellation, as well as the average score. 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.
How many Harvard law students fail the bar?
Law Schools with the Highest Bar-Exam Pass Rate
Yale University: 98 percent. University of Pennsylvania: 98 percent. Columbia University: 97 percent. Harvard University: 97 percent.
How bad is a 142 LSAT score?
The LSAC also reports a mean LSAT score of 151.88 among all these test-takers. All these factors combined mean a score of 142 is both below average in terms of LSAT scores, and far below average in terms of performance for an LSAT test-taker.
Is the LSAT becoming obsolete?
The ABA's House of Delegates will vote on the Council's proposed change in February 2023. If the House votes to nix Standard 503, the standardized-test requirement won't go away until 2025. So, the LSAT isn't definitely going away, and it's definitely not going away until 2025.
Should I keep a 145 LSAT score?
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. As such, the majority of law schools will not accept scores below this.
Do law schools care if you retake classes?
Clear up any Incomplete grades before you apply to law schools since they may adversely affect your GPA and the quality of your transcript. Avoid repeating courses unless absolutely necessary.
Has Kim Kardashian taken the LSAT?
Despite Kim Kardashian not taking the LSAT, it remains a pivotal factor that every law school considers when selecting applicants. How to Study for the LSAT? Preparing for law school admission starts with getting ready for the LSAT, partnered with excellent LSAT prep avenues such as Odyssey Test Prep.
What was Barack Obama's GPA?
Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City as a junior, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and in English literature and lived off-campus on West 109th Street. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 and a 3.7 GPA.
What is the hardest law school in the USA?
1. Yale University. With an acceptance rate of just 6.9%, it's no wonder that Yale is the hardest law school to get into. Only around 1 in 15 of their highly qualified applicants makes it through.
What's the lowest GPA Yale accepted?
We do not set a minimum GPA, nor do we attempt to re-weight GPA's to any standard other than what a school provides.
Will a 175 LSAT get you in anywhere?
Here is a breakdown of what counts as a good enough score for law schools based on the school's rank: Top-five law schools: 170 to 180. Schools like Harvard and Yale, which are the top two, rarely accept applicants with less than 172 on the LSAT. Law schools ranked between 5 and 10: 165 to 170.