Does undergrad degree matter for law school?
Asked by: Edmond Lang | Last update: September 25, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (50 votes)
Do law schools really care about your major? 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. Your LSAT score and your GPA are the key determining factors in law school admissions.
Do law schools care where you get your undergrad?
Undergrad school does not matter in law school admission. Law schools care about their median accepted LSAT and GPA because that's what affects their ranking.
Do law schools prefer their own undergrads?
Myth #2: If I attend University X as an undergraduate, then I will have a more competitive chance to gain admission into University X Law School. Many students also believe that their chances are diminished if they attend University X as an undergraduate. The truth is that it does not matter.
Do law schools look at undergraduate or graduate 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. On the other hand, a low grad GPA won't bring down a high UGPA.
Does it really matter where you get your law degree from?
Earning a law degree from any reputable program is an impressive achievement. Read the bios for any major law firm and you will see many successful lawyers who attended low-ranked schools. That said, the job market is easier for graduates of top-ranked law schools.
Best Undergraduate Degrees for Law School | Law School FAQs
What degree is most useful for law school?
- English. Regardless of their niche, the cornerstones of every successful lawyer are exceptional reading comprehension and persuasive writing. ...
- Classical Studies. ...
- Environmental Sciences. ...
- Literature. ...
- Policy Studies. ...
- Industrial Relations. ...
- History. ...
- Math.
Do law firms care where you went to law school?
Your Previous (On-the-Job) Training
Certain firms have the reputation for training people very well—and everyone knows that they have high expectations for the people there. If you get a good job right out of school or thereafter (with a major law firm), firms no longer really care about where you went to law school.
Do law schools care what you major in?
The American Bar Association (ABA) states that they do not recommend any specific major for undergraduates or coursework to prepare for law school.
Is law school harder than a master's?
Yes, grad school requires learning new approaches, new theories, new ways of thinking. Some of this even makes your head spin. But it simply doesn't require the same radical realignment that law school does. What you learned as an undergraduate applies to grad school — but not so much to law school.
How hard is the LSAT?
This process is not only time-consuming but can be very expensive as well. So yes, the LSAT is hard, and it is designed that way. It's not so much a test that requires a student to remember random facts, but instead, it is a test that showcases a student's thought process.
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.
Which law school are students happiest at?
- Samford University Cumberland School of Law (no change)
- Duke University School of Law (no change)
- Stanford University School of Law (no change)
- Boston College Law School (no change)
- Vanderbilt University Law School (ranked #3 last year)
Can you get into Harvard law with a 3.5 GPA?
The most recent Harvard Law entering class had a median GPA of 3.92; the lowest GPA accepted was 3.82. As such, Harvard does not consider a 3.0 GPA competitive, so it's very unlikely you will get into it if you have this GPA.
How many times can you take the LSAT?
How many times may I take the LSAT? Five times within the current reportable score period (i.e., since June 2019). A total of seven times over a lifetime.
Do I need a 4.0 for law school?
According to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), students need a GPA of at least 3.59 and an LSAT of 162 or more to get into any top 10 law schools. However, that is the bare minimum, and you should aim higher if you want to increase your chances of getting into the top 3.
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.
What is the hardest year in law school?
Law school is an academic challenge; most students agree the first year (“1L” year) is the most difficult. In part, this is because law school is taught using methods entirely different than the lecture method used in most college classrooms.
How many hours do law students study a day?
Law Students' Average Daily Study Hours
All in all, however, law students typically spend around 30 – 40 hours per week studying. That may sound like a lot, but a good rule of thumb is that you should be studying at least two hours for every one hour of class time per week.
Do law schools look at undergrad or masters GPA?
Applicants are required to report grades from every undergraduate and graduate institution, including college classes taken in high school or taken not for credit. The LSAC report includes several GPAs: a GPA for each institution, a GPA for each year and a cumulative GPA for all undergraduate work.
What is the most accepted major 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.
Does where I get my undergrad matter for law school?
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.
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 do most lawyers make out of law school?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the average lawyer salary out of law school in the US is $163,770.
Is law school hard or just a lot of work?
Being prepared to work hard – Law school classes are part of a demanding program, and you need to be prepared to be a good student and put in the time and effort to succeed. That work includes doing all of the assigned reading, avoiding low grades, and preparing well for final exams.
Do some law firms really only hire from Harvard?
Bottom line: deliberately hiring from one school is totally unrealistic (Harvard is ranked #3 behind Yale and Stanford and there really isn't much, or any, qualitative difference between top schools), but some tippy-top firms hire from a small number of schools.