How realistic is it to get a 170 on LSAT?

Asked by: Xander Bergstrom  |  Last update: October 21, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (32 votes)

Any score above a 160 is considered a great score, and any score above a 170 would be considered an EXCELLENT score, within the 98th percentile of all people who took the test, meaning that you were better than 98 PERCENT OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO TOOK THAT SAME EXAM.

How difficult 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.

How rare is a 170 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 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.

Can you get into Harvard with a 170 LSAT?

The LSAT score for Harvard Law School typically falls within the 169-175 range, while the average GPA for admitted students is between 3.8 and 4.0. However, the range of LSAT scores and GPAs accepted is broad.

How to score in the 170s on the LSAT.

27 related questions found

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.

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.

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!

Does the LSAT get curved?

The LSAT is graded on a “curve” so that even if a test was relatively easy or difficult, a 160 on any given test is equivalent to a 160 on any other test. This means that not all tests are exactly the same level of difficulty.

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.

Has anyone gotten a 180 on the LSAT?

He worked his way up to a perfect 180 LSAT score on a mock LSAT exam, 18 points higher than his diagnostic exam prior to ScoreItUp's course! Even more importantly, Spencer's actual LSAT score was better than 99 percent of test-takers sitting for the exam!

Which is harder, LSAT or MCAT?

The difficulty of the LSAT vs MCAT is subjective and depends on an individual's strengths and interests. Some may find the MCAT more challenging due to its extensive scientific content, while others may struggle more with the LSAT because of its emphasis on logical reasoning and comprehension skills.

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.

What LSAT score do I need for Harvard?

So let's take a look at what it actually takes to have a chance of being admitted to the most prestigious and preeminent law school in the world. 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.

Can I increase my LSAT score by 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 a 135 on the LSAT bad?

Average LSAT Score

LSAT passing score of at least 165 on the LSAT. In recent years, the average LSAT score has stayed at around 151-152. Correspondingly, applicants should aim to score 151 at a minimum to get into an accredited law school because of how competitive and challenging admissions are.

Can you get lucky on the LSAT?

There is no average, and the LSAT definitely isn't luck, although you CAN get lucky. If you take it a few times and don't study in between, you will probably get within 3 point of each other, because a few of the answer you guess will be right/wrong.

Will a 180 LSAT get you in anywhere?

LSAT takers can score anywhere from 120 to 180. With that big of a range, what kind of score should you aim for? Realistically, you should try to get a score of at least 150. That's the score that will get you into any accredited law school.

What is a poor 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.

Has anyone gotten 100% on the LSAT?

A 20-year-old woman from Pennsylvania has shared her real-life Legally Blonde moment after achieving the perfect score of 180 in the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

Is a 2.9 GPA bad for law school?

Your low GPA doesn't guarantee rejections from law schools. Law schools look at who you are as a person, not just how well you perform academically. If your GPA was all that mattered, there would be no need for such extensive application processes.

What is the average LSAT score for first time takers?

Data Summary. The average LSAT score for first-time takers was 151, according to scores tracked from 2006-2013. During this period, second-time test takers had the highest LSAT average score of about 152. The average national LSAT score for full-time, first-year JD enrollees for fall 2022 was about 159.

Can a high LSAT make up for a low GPA?

A strong LSAT score can compensate for a low GPA, so it is well worth the investment of time and effort it takes to do well. Many competitive law schools screen applicants using a weighted index of their grades and LSAT scores, so extra points on the LSAT may effectively boost your GPA.