What GPA should you have to apply to law school?

Asked by: Trace Leannon V  |  Last update: September 25, 2023
Score: 4.9/5 (29 votes)

Obtain High GPA & LSAT Scores
According to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), students need a GPA of at least 3.59 and an LSAT of 162 or more to get into any top 10 law schools. However, that is the bare minimum, and you should aim higher if you want to increase your chances of getting into the top 3.

Can I apply to law school with a 3.0 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 3.7 GPA too low 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.

Can a 2.7 GPA get into law school?

Students with low GPAs can absolutely still make it to law school, though their path there may look a little different. It can be extremely helpful to take a year or two off from school in order to gain real-world experience.

Can you get into law school with a 2.5 GPA?

Can I get into law school with a 2.5 GPA? Anything is possible. Many go hard and fast by numbers and stats and allow themselves to be fenced in by those, and those are the cookie cutter types. The ones who have great GPA, good not great testing scores and average rec letters.

Law School LSAT and GPA Requirements

24 related questions found

Can you get into Harvard law with a 2.9 GPA?

Law schools generally require that you have specified minimum collegiate GPA and LSAT scores to qualify for admission. Harvard, Yale, and the other top five-ranked law schools require that you have a GPA of at least 3.50 and an LSAT score of 170.

What is the easiest law school to get into with a low GPA?

15 Easiest Law Schools to Get Into Based on GPA
  • DePaul University College of Law – 3.20.
  • Howard University Law School – 3.24.
  • University of Baltimore – 3.25.
  • Vermont Law School – 3.25.
  • University of Idaho College of Law – 3.25.
  • Akron Law School – 3.28.
  • Creighton University Law School – 3.29.

Does GPA or LSAT matter more?

Just how important the LSAT relative to other elements of your overall application package varies a little from school to school. However, generally, your LSAT score alone is thought to be anywhere from twice as important as your GPA to four to five times as important!

What if my GPA isn't good enough for law school?

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.

Is 176 a good LSAT score?

A good LSAT score for T-14 law schools is a 170–171 or higher. In addition to the schools above, the following schools—with some year-to-year variance—comprise the rest of the T-14 schools: University of Virginia, Berkeley, University of Michigan, Duke, Cornell, Northwestern, and UCLA.

What GPA does Harvard Law look at?

These GPA percentiles suggest most Harvard Law students achieve a GPA of 3.82 to 3.98. To give yourself the best chance of admission, you should strive for an undergraduate GPA as close to 4.0 as possible.

Does Harvard Law accept low 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.

How bad is a 154 on the LSAT?

The average range is from 120 to 180 points. That's a pretty narrow score range, but it reflects a wide diversity of abilities and outcomes. The mean LSAT score is approximately 150, but you're going to have to do well above average to get into a top law school.

Which GPA do law schools look at?

Some people do well in their major GPA but have a low overall GPA because they performed poorly in their required general education courses. Unfortunately, law schools largely care about your overall GPA.

How hard is LSAT?

The LSAT Is A Very Challenging Exam

The reality is that the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is extremely difficult. It's designed to predict how well the brightest students across the world will fare in law school.

What was Barack Obama's LSAT score?

Unraveling the secret behind Obama's LSAT Score

Hence it's very likely that Obama had an LSAT Score around the median of the class (43 on the then-used 48 point scale).

Is the LSAT harder than the bar?

The bar exam is like the final boss of a video game. After spending your entire academic career taking tests, this is the final, most difficult one you'll face. Unlike the LSAT, the bar exam does test your knowledge of the law itself. You'll be tested on a wide array of subjects.

How is 120 the lowest LSAT score?

After arriving at the raw score, a unique Score Conversion Chart is used for each LSAT to convert the raw score into a scaled LSAT score. Since June 1991, the LSAT has utilized a 120 to 180 scoring scale, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.

What if your GPA is high but low LSAT scores?

High grades can help offset a low LSAT score, as can strong recommendation letters from professors, professional experience and a well-structured personal statement. Use other elements of your application like your resume to bring out skills tested by the LSAT, like logical reasoning and close reading.

How common is a perfect LSAT score?

Remember, the LSAT is one component of the application, and the definition of a good LSAT score depends upon your specific goals. While only 0.1% of test-takers get a 180, many more get accepted into law school each year.

Do law schools look more at LSAT or GPA?

Most law schools tend to give LSAT scores a bit more weight, but some schools care more about grades. The admissions process is inevitably subjective, and some admissions officers might be more forgiving of a gap than others.

What law school is the hardest to get accepted?

The 12 Hardest Law Schools to Get Into
  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. ...
  2. Stanford University. ...
  3. Harvard University. ...
  4. University of Pennsylvania. ...
  5. University of Virginia. ...
  6. Columbia University. ...
  7. University of Chicago. ...
  8. University of Southern California.

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.

What is the lowest degree you can get in law?

Juris Doctor

This is the first law degree that a person becoming an attorney will earn. A Juris Doctor takes three full years to complete and is started after a person has earned a bachelor's degree from a college.