What if I get a bad LSAT score?
Asked by: Mr. Linwood McCullough | Last update: January 21, 2026Score: 4.5/5 (69 votes)
You can still get into law school if your LSAT score is lower than your target. The key is to make yourself a competitive candidate otherwise through a stellar personal statement, impressive resume, and strong letters of recommendation.
What happens if I get a bad 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.
What to do after a bad LSAT score?
If you scored below 150, you do not have to throw away your law school dreams. Instead, take steps to strengthen your application package, especially your essays, consider waiting to apply, and change up your LSAT study methods for a retake.
What is the lowest LSAT score accepted?
The below table shows the schools that accept the lowest LSAT scores. This shows that the lowest acceptable LSAT score is 139. Typically, a good rule of thumb is that you want to at least break 140 to make taking on the cost of law school economically feasible. You can get into a law school with a 140 LSAT score.
What to do if you have a low LSAT score?
Another tool that you can consider if you have a low LSAT score is submitting an LSAT addendum with your application materials. An LSAT addendum allows law school applicants to explain what factors may have contributed to receiving a low score.
LSAT Prep: How I Scored a 172 in Two Months
Is a 140 a good LSAT score?
Average LSAT Score
The LSAT score range is 120–180, and the median score is approximately 152.
Is it bad to keep a low LSAT score?
Most applicants who consider canceling their LSAT score do so because they think that having the lower score on their record will hurt them, even once they have a higher score. This is, for the most part, not the case.
What is the lowest score on the LSAT?
The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.
Should I cancel my 148 LSAT score?
Remember, just because you feel you did poorly on the test does not necessarily mean you did. Some people may come out of the test feeling nervous or unhappy with how they did but end up scoring very well. You should only seriously consider canceling an LSAT score if you feel like you completely flunked the exam.
How rare is 172 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.
Does retaking the LSAT look bad?
No, law schools don't really care if you retake the LSAT. However, if you have multiple LSAT scores (four or more) it may raise a few eyebrows and make the admissions committees question your time management, dedication, and academic potential a little more.
What is considered failing the LSAT?
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. But your score is more than simply the number of questions you got right or wrong—it's slightly more complicated than that.
Do law schools look at every LSAT score?
Law schools will see every time an applicant takes the LSAT. Law schools will see if you cancel a score for whatever reason. Law schools do not average the scores for admission, but we always look at performance if you've taken the test more than once.
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.
Can I get into law school with a 136 LSAT score?
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 many questions can I get wrong on the LSAT to get a 170?
How many questions can be answered incorrectly for a score of 170? The most questions you can answer wrong on the LSAT if your objective is to achieve a score of 170 is 11. You should achieve your goal score of 170 by correctly answering 90 out of the 101 questions.
How bad is a 139 on the LSAT?
Typical LSAT score ranges include: 120-147 Low. 148-156 Mid. 157-164 High.
Can I get into law school with a 148 LSAT?
Your chances of admission are high if you score above 144 on the LSAT and have a GPA above 3.00, though.
Can law schools see if you withdraw from LSAT?
Law schools will not see if you withdraw online from the LSAT prior to the official administration. Law schools will, however, see if you cancel a score after you take the test.
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.
What LSAT score is too low?
What Is The Lowest Acceptable 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.
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.
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 a failing LSAT score?
One does not fail the LSAT. All scores are valid, within the confines of the test itself. So one can take the LSAT and perform poorly, but even a score below 120 is not failing.
What is a good LSAT score without studying?
You can expect to score between 145 and 153 when taking the LSAT without studying. This would generally fall within the 26th to 53rd percentile. Your individual score will vary depending on your familiarity with aptitude, logical, and reading comprehension tests.