Is a 138 a bad LSAT score?

Asked by: Miss Demetris Konopelski MD  |  Last update: November 9, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (70 votes)

“In general, it's unwise to attend law school with an LSAT score below 160,” said Keith Syska, LSAT curriculum designer at Magoosh. “Surely there are exceptions, but scoring below 160 will foreclose many attractive opportunities.

Should I cancel a 138 LSAT score?

Should I Cancel My LSAT Score? Probably not. Most schools only use your top LSAT score for admissions, so having a lower score doesn't generally hurt you. A few schools do look at all your LSAT scores, but most just want to see a trend of improvement if you retake.

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.

Can I get into law school with a 139 LSAT?

Quite frankly, if your LSAT score is below 145, it will be difficult for you to be admitted to an accredited law school – not impossible, but very difficult. And if your LSAT score is low, your GPA will need to be higher to compensate for it.

How bad is a 139 on the LSAT?

Typical LSAT score ranges include: 120-147 Low. 148-156 Mid. 157-164 High.

Is a 140 LSAT score bad?

18 related questions found

Can I get into law school with a 138 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.

Is 138 a bad LSAT score?

“In general, it's unwise to attend law school with an LSAT score below 160,” said Keith Syska, LSAT curriculum designer at Magoosh. “Surely there are exceptions, but scoring below 160 will foreclose many attractive opportunities.

Is 137 a bad LSAT score?

A well below average score is considered by many as anything below the 25th percentile, which typically indicates a score of 145 or below. However, do not be disheartened if your LSAT percentile is below average; use it as motivation to study harder and ensure quality results the next time you take the exam.

How bad is a 135 on the LSAT?

As previously stated, the score range for any LSAT exam is 120 to 180, but the average score is about 150. However, most of the top ten law schools require a candidate to have scored at least 165 on the LSAT.

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.

What is a failing LSAT score?

Understanding Your LSAT Scores. The LSAT scores range from 120-180, with 120 being the lowest possible score. If you are wondering what a good LSAT Score is, there is no failing or passing score on the LSAT.

Is 136 a good LSAT score?

Is 136 a bad LSAT score? A score of 136 is considered low and might limit your law school options.

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.

Does a bad LSAT score hurt you?

Meaning, a lower score on a LSAT retake should not hurt you. Now admissions officers are still humans, and there is most certainly some psychological negative impact of having multiple lower LSAT scores and then a high LSAT score when compared to someone who just scored high the first time.

What is the lowest acceptable LSAT score?

Key take-aways
  • Retake the LSAT – the lowest acceptable LSAT score is 140.
  • Take the GRE – but only if you'll do better percentile wise than the LSAT.
  • Have a high GPA – you can get into law school with a low LSAT but high GPA.

How bad is a 130 on LSAT?

If you have a 130s LSAT, you're not going to law school. It's not fun for me to say this, and I know it hurts to hear it. And, yes, I will answer this question exactly the same way no matter how many times or in how many variations it is posted as a comment on my blog or the Law School Expert Facebook page.

Can I get into law school with a 139 LSAT score?

The lowest LSAT score accepted by law schools is 139. However, with a stellar personal statement, impressive resume, and strong recommendation letters, you can still get into law school despite a low LSAT score.

What is a mediocre LSAT score?

The LSAT percentile score range demonstrates your score relative to other test-takers over the past three years. According to the Law School Admission Council, which administers the test, the median score for the 2021-24 testing years was 153, meaning 50% of test-takers scored below and 50% scored above that number.

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 160 on the LSAT?

A student scoring a 180 is in the 99.9 percentile because the student scored better than 99.9% of test-takers. A student scoring a 160 is in the 74.8 percentile because the student scored better than 74.8% of test-takers. You can hover over the blue outline to see a tooltip for all each LSAT/percentile combinations.

Should I cancel a 143 LSAT score?

Vast majority of law schools take your highest score. Not a lot of benefit, if any, from cancelling. They'll see a canceled score notification. So if you are going to bring it up, I'd keep the score.

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 an OK LSAT score?

For example, to get into a top-ranking law school, you'll probably need an LSAT score of at least 160 or above, while a score in the mid-150s is often acceptable at many excellent law schools. A top 10 law school typically requires a 170 or above.

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.