Is 3.8 GPA good for Harvard Law?

Asked by: Tatyana Stokes  |  Last update: January 22, 2026
Score: 4.1/5 (48 votes)

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 a 3.8 good enough for Harvard Law?

Your gpa will be fine, but for the very very top schools, it is a noticeable difference. There is no exact LSAT you need to have, but to be competitive, minimum low 170s. I had a client with a 3.75 get into Harvard with a 172/173 (can't remember precisely), and another get into Columbia with high 3.8 and 171.

Will Harvard accept a 3.8 GPA?

Harvard University does not have a strict minimum GPA requirement for undergraduate admissions. However, admitted students typically have very high GPAs, ranging from 3.8 to 4.0, with an average GPA of 3.9.

Is a 3.8 GPA ok for law school?

Most law schools require a minimum GPA of 3.5 for admission. However, top law schools typically require a GPA of 3.7 or higher to be considered a competitive applicant.

Is a 3.8 GPA good for the Ivy League?

A 3.8 is definitely not low for the ivy league. A 3.7 is low. A 3.6 is very low. A 3.8 is pretty close to normal for Ivy acceptances.

Can I get into Harvard with a 3.8 GPA?

34 related questions found

Is a 3.8 GPA impressive?

A 3.8 GPA is considered to be a very good GPA and is often an indicator of strong academic performance.

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.

Can I get into Stanford Law with a 3.8 GPA?

If your sights are set on Stanford Law, your GPA should be as close to 3.9 or 4.0 as possible for your best shot at acceptance. Here is some more information regarding Stanford Law's entering class' GPA scores: 25th Percentile: 3.78. 50th Percentile: 3.92.

What did Elle Woods get on the LSAT?

The trending post led to multiple stories, including one in Newsweek, that compares Boyle to the fictional character Elle Woods, who scored a nearly perfect 179 on her LSAT to gain entry to Harvard Law School.

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 rare is 3.8 GPA?

To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 3.8 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.

Can I get into Harvard Med with a 3.8 GPA?

Harvard Medical School obviously has the luxury of selecting students from an outstanding pool of applicants. If your MCAT and GPA are excellent (517 and 3.8 or higher) or there are other extenuating circumstances about your background that distinguish you, try applying.

Is a 3.8 GPA good for Stanford?

While a 3.8 GPA is lower than the average GPA for Stanford admittees (which is around 4.18), it's still within range. Admissions decisions are not solely based on GPA, so it's important to consider the other elements of your application as well.

How hard is Harvard law?

Applicants need a median LSAT score of 174 out of 180 to be competitive. The acceptance rate is low, at 9.5%, meaning out of the 8,393 applications received in 2022, only 798 were accepted. This means that applicants must have very good grades and test scores, especially on the LSAT.

Can I get into Columbia Law with a 3.8 GPA?

Given this data, it's difficult to determine the Columbia Law School average GPA. However, we can assume that the Columbia Law average GPA likely ranges from 3.8 to 4.0.

What did Obama make on the LSAT?

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 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 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.

Is a 3.8 GPA good for Harvard Law?

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.

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.

Is a 3.9 good for Harvard Law?

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.

Is 3.5 enough for Harvard?

In summary, while a GPA of 3.5 is less than average for Harvard admits, you shouldn't count yourself out automatically. Focus on strengthening the other components of your application, demonstrating dedication through your extracurriculars, and showing your unique perspective through your essays.

Is 3.1 GPA too low for law school?

So generally, if you're trying to get into the top schools, a GPA below 3.6 will be considered low. But to answer the question what GPA do you need to get into law school, any law school, then the answer is at least a 2.5. That is realistically the lowest GPA you can have to get into law school.

What is the cut off for Harvard Law?

There is no minimum score cut-off but 50% of the current first-year class had a score of 174 or higher, so you should aim for a similar score if you want to get into Harvard Law School.