What GPA do top law schools average?
Asked by: Julia Hill | Last update: January 16, 2026Score: 4.5/5 (9 votes)
Top-ranking law schools often expect higher average GPAs, typically ranging from 3.8 to 4.0 or even higher. They place a strong emphasis on academic excellence to complement strong LSAT scores.
Can you get into a top law school with a 3.5 GPA?
These statistics reveal how important the LSAT is to law-school admissions. Earning a high GPA isn't enough. As the Fordham Law School statistics indicate, even those with a 3.5 GPA or better who don't do well on the LSAT have only about a four- percent chance of admission.
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.
Is a 3.2 a bad law school GPA?
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.
Is a 4.0 GPA good for law school?
For Top 10 law schools, a ballpark combination would be scoring 170+ on the LSAT and 3.8+ GPA.
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Is 3.7 a bad GPA for law school?
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 174 a good 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 GPA do big law firms want?
What Is a Good GPA for Big Law? It depends on what firms you're hoping to work with. Many firms require lawyers to have a GPA of 3.5 from a top school, while many others consider a 3.0 from the same institution to be acceptable.
Can I get into Harvard law with 3.2 GPA?
There's no lowest GPA but you probably won't get into Harvard with a 2.5 GPA. Your GPA still needs to be somewhat competitive with the median GPA. That said, you can get into Harvard Law School even if your GPA is 3.82 or lower.
Is a 3.0 too low for law school?
Considering students are generally advised to score a GPA of 3.5 in college to get into law school, a 3.0 is typically considered low. However, it all depends on the schools you're applying to! As discussed earlier, several schools consider a 3.0 to be within their competitive range.
What is the average GPA for top law schools?
Top-ranking law schools often expect higher average GPAs, typically ranging from 3.8 to 3.9 or even higher. They place a strong emphasis on academic excellence to complement strong LSAT scores. Mid-tier law schools, though still competitive, might have slightly lower average GPA expectations.
Do law firms care about grades?
Grades are important to many law firms when making hiring decisions. However, the weight that they carry in these decisions most often depends on the particular firm involved and whether you are (A) a junior attorney or law student, (B) a mid-level to senior associate, or (C) a partner.
What are softs for law school?
Softs refer to everything in your application that isn't "hard" data.
What is a low GPA for NYU law school?
At NYU Law, a low GPA is 3.72, while a high GPA is 3.94. The median is 3.85. Your GPA should be in the median range, but you can still get in if your GPA is 3.85 or lower. One of my clients, D.C., got into Georgetown with a 3.6 GPA – far lower than the school's 3.85 median.
Can I get into Vanderbilt law with a 3.5 GPA?
Aim for a GPA of at least 3.5 (cumulative). The median GPA for Vanderbilt law school applicants is a 3.65. Your GPA is much harder to change as time goes on (it can be hard to play catchup if you have a lot of ground to cover) — so make every attempt to start strong!
Do law schools care about undergrad prestige?
If you want to attend law school, the prestige of your undergraduate program matters very little as compared to the importance of GPA and LSAT scores. Similarly, if you want to attend medical school, the prestige of your undergraduate institution is relatively unimportant, while your GPA and MCAT scores are critical.
What's the lowest GPA Yale accepted?
We do not set a minimum GPA, nor do we attempt to re-weight GPA's to any standard other than what a school provides.
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.
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.
What is the GPA cut off for Jones Day?
We require a GPA of 3.5 or higher. We seek well-rounded, motivated students with the potential to develop into exceptional lawyers and who will embrace Jones Day's culture and mission.
What is Harvard Law GPA?
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.
Do law schools look at GPA trends?
Trends in GPA: Demonstrating Growth
Law schools may also assess your academic trajectory. They want to see improvement or consistency in your grades over time. If you had a rocky start but showed significant improvement in later years, make sure to highlight this in your application.
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.
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 was Elle Woods' LSAT score?
Elle Woods, a fictional character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the movie Legally Blonde, is known for her remarkable LSAT score—179 out of 180. Portrayed as a stereotypical "valley girl," she embarks on a journey to Harvard Law School in the movie that has since become a cult favorite.