How common is a 170 on the LSAT?

Asked by: Gideon Stehr  |  Last update: September 25, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (59 votes)

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.

How rare is 170 on LSAT?

170 score: Scoring a 170 on the LSAT is almost always considered a good score — that means you are in the 2-3% of test-takers.

How hard is it to get a 170 in LSAT?

Roughly 97% of people who take the LSAT score less than a 170. Sooo... that hard.

Is a 170 LSAT good for Harvard?

A competitive LSAT score for Harvard Law School is typically above 170, while a competitive GPA is usually above 3.8.

How many wrong on LSAT to get 170?

How many questions can be answered incorrectly for a score of 170? The most questions you can answer wrong on the LSAT if your objective is to achieve a score of 170 is 11. You should achieve your goal score of 170 by correctly answering 90 out of the 101 questions.

How to score in the 170s on the LSAT.

16 related questions found

Can I get a 170 on the LSAT in 2 months?

A 170 will be difficult to obtain. It will require quality resources and substantial preparation. You should dedicate at least four months to reach this target. For the best LSAT support, consider teaming up with a 99th percentile tutor who can help you increase your score by 12 points!

What LSAT score did Elle Woods get?

When she applied to this school, she had a 4.0 GPA with a 179 on the LSAT, the two most important things when applying to law school. The average LSAT score for students applying to Harvard is 174, meaning she got above the average.

What is the average LSAT score for first time takers?

LSAT scores range from 120 to 180. First-time LSAT test-takers score an average of 151 out of 180. The median LSAT score of first-year JD students is 158.5. Among first-year JD students, 160.9 is considered a high score (75th percentile), and 154.8 is considered a low score (25th percentile)

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 is the curve for the LSAT 170?

You often hear numbers such as -7 or -9 thrown around as indicators of the LSAT scale. Simply, it refers to how many questions you can miss to score a 170. LSATs now allow test-takers to miss anywhere between 6 and 10 questions to receive a 170. So, the number people discuss directly refers to the score of 170.

How rare is 172 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.

What is a bad LSAT score?

While you may be able to apply and even be accepted into a law school with a lower LSAT score, there is a cut-off for acceptable application scores. If you are consistently scoring lower than 145, you may need to consider significant studying and a retake before applying to law schools.

Will a 180 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.

How rare is a 177 LSAT?

You would need to a top score across all LSAT attempts of a 177 to be in the top 1% of US and Canadian applicants. An applicant needs a top score of 169 to be in the top 10% of applicants.

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.

Is legally blonde realistic?

OVERALL (fairly accurate!)

After going through it myself - overall impression of Legally Blonde? Not too shabby! I'd say the class/school scenes are pretty accurate, as well as Elle's transition from totally uncomfortable to realizing that she deserves to be at Harvard Law.

What is a respectable LSAT score?

Average LSAT Score

The LSAT score range is 120–180, and the median score is approximately 152. You need to get about 60 questions right (out of 99–102 questions) to get that median score of 152, which means you need to bat about 60 percent.

Is 170 on LSAT hard?

Around 5% of test takers score 170 or above, and only 1% score 175 or above. Approximately one in 1,000 score a perfect 180. For perspective, a 170 usually requires getting about 87 of the scored questions right.

What is the lowest LSAT score accepted?

What Is The Lowest Acceptable 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.

Can I get a scholarship with a 170 LSAT score?

What LSAT Score Do I Need for a Full Scholarship? It depends on what type of scholarship you're hoping to be granted. Needs-based scholarships don't require a high LSAT score. However, to be considered for a merit-based scholarship, it's wise to have a score close to 170.

Is 170 LSAT enough for Harvard?

As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School. If you have a GPA of 3.94 or higher and above a 175, you are pretty much a lock for admission, particularly given the class size of ~560.

Is it possible to raise your LSAT score 20 points?

Students have successfully improved their LSAT score by over 20 points, but it required several months, even years, of dedicated study, trial and error, and unwavering focus.

Is 171 a good LSAT score?

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.