Is 3.53 a good GPA for law school?
Asked by: Prof. Mya Collins | Last update: August 19, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (11 votes)
Among the 191 ranked law schools that submitted grade data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average median GPA of entering law school students in 2021 was 3.55. But at the 20 highest-ranked law schools, the average median GPA is much higher – 3.86.
Is a 3.5 GPA ok for law school?
What GPA Is Needed for Most Law Schools? Most law schools require a minimum GPA of 3.5 for admission.
Is 3.53 a good GPA?
In general, a 3.0 GPA or higher is widely accepted by college advisors, internship programs, and potential employers. Anything above a 3.5 is often considered outstanding and may lead to honors designations at graduation and special distinctions/designations on your actual diploma.
Can I 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.
Is a 3.6 GPA too low for law school?
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.
January 2025 LSAT Recap
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.
Will I get into grad school with a 3.6 GPA?
For graduate school applications, many programs have minimum GPA requirements, typically ranging from 3.0 to 3.5. A 3.6 GPA should meet the minimum requirements for most programs, but each school might have different expectations.
Do Ivy Leagues accept 3.5 GPA?
An offer to Ivy League schools is hard to get, but it's not impossible. So, is a 3.5 GPA good enough for Ivy League schools? On its own, it likely isn't enough to provide the competitiveness you'll need to get an offer. Of course, it is possible to get accepted with a stellar application.
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.
How rare is a 3.5 GPA?
To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 3.5 puts you above average nationally. Keep in mind the 3.0 national average represents all students, not just students applying to college, so the average GPA of students admitted to colleges is higher than the national average.
Are you smart if you have a 3.5 GPA?
Whether an average GPA is good or not depends on your personal and academic objectives and on the university and study programme you choose. Usually, a GPA of 3.0 - 3.5 is considered good enough at many high schools, colleges, and universities.
What will an F do to a 3.5 GPA?
Your GPA is affected
When you fail a course, the grade you receive is often an F, which carries no grade points. As a result, failing a course can significantly lower your GPA, especially if it is worth several credits. For example, if you have a 3.5 GPA and fail a 4-credit course, your GPA will drop to 3.08.
Is a 3.53 GPA good in college?
Is a 3.5 GPA Good? As a top-letter grade, a B+ or A- is considered "good." A 3.5 GPA means that a student consistently performs well on homework, tests, and projects in every subject, making it a desirable GPA across the board.
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 are softs for law school?
Softs refer to everything in your application that isn't "hard" data.
What is the easiest law school to get into?
- Creighton University Law School – 79%
- University of Wyoming Law School – 78%
- Marquette University Law School – 77%
- Loyola New Orleans Law School – 76%
- Drake University Law School – 75%
- Oklahoma City University School of Law – 72%
Which year of a law degree is the hardest?
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.
What is the average GPA for Harvard Law?
Harvard Law ranks #3 in terms of highest median undergraduate GPA (3.90) among those applicants granted admission who enrolled as full-time students. Harvard Law ranks #5 in terms of highest tuition among full-time law students ($64,978).
Can I get into Georgetown with a 3.5 GPA?
It's difficult to get into a school as competitive as Georgetown without an unweighted high school GPA of at least 3.0. And 3.5 is more ideal, given Georgetown's stats on class rank percentiles (seen in Table 1 of this article; in addition, 85% of accepted students were in the top 10% of their class).
Is a 3.5 GPA too low for med school?
A GPA of 3.0 or higher is generally considered to be the minimum requirement for medical schools. Some schools may have a lower minimum requirement, such as a 2.5 or 2.75, but these are less common.
Are you smart if you have a 3.6 GPA?
To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 3.6 puts you above average nationally. Keep in mind the 3.0 national average represents all students, not just students applying to college, so the average GPA of students admitted to colleges is higher than the national average.
Is 3.4 a good GPA for PhD?
Although actual requirements vary, most graduate admissions committees typically expect applicants to have GPAs from 3.0–3.3 for master's programs and from 3.3–3.5 for doctoral programs.
What is considered a bad GPA?
It also helps schools determine if you will be able to handle the coursework. Typically, a good GPA is between 3.0 and 4.0, and a low GPA is between 1.5 and 2.0. Universities may start tracking your GPA as early as your freshman year of high school, and this will continue into your college career.