What is a good score for the LSAT test?

Asked by: Dr. Carleton Ledner  |  Last update: January 23, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (30 votes)

What do 150, 160 and 170 scores mean? According to U.S. News, law school admissions experts recommend striving for at least a 150; however, for a top-ranking law school, you should aim for a 160 or better. For a Top 10 law school, a 170 or more is desired.

What is a respectable LSAT score?

With an LSAT score of 170, your chances of getting into any school you want are good. That includes some law schools in the top ten. Nearly half of the students in the best US law schools get in with a score of less than 170.

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)

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.

Is a 172 a good LSAT score?

On the other end of the spectrum we can consider an LSAT score of 172. An LSAT score of 172 means the student scored better than about 99% of applicants.

What Is a Good LSAT Score? | Understanding the LSAT Score Range

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Can you get into Harvard with a 172 LSAT?

The average Havard LSAT score for admitted law students is 172. This score places Harvard Law among the most selective law schools globally, as they have candidates who have performed exceptionally well on the LSAT.

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.

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 did Elle Woods get on her LSAT?

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.

Is it hard to pass the LSAT?

This process is not only time-consuming but can be very expensive as well. So yes, the LSAT is hard, and it is designed that way. It's not so much a test that requires a student to remember random facts, but instead, it is a test that showcases a student's thought process.

Will a 180 LSAT get you in anywhere?

You can apply to pretty much anywhere with confidence.

The following table shows the schools with a median LSAT score in the 173-180 range for admitted full-time student populations as of Fall 2024. These programs are at the very top of the law school world, hence their LSAT scores being so high.

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.

What is a realistic 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.

How many times can I take the LSAT?

How many times may I take the LSAT? Five times within the current reportable score period (i.e., since June 2019). A total of seven times over a lifetime.

What is the easiest law degree to get?

The easiest law degree to earn is a Master of Legal Studies degree. For more information about earning a Master of Legal Studies or for help finding a program, reach out to Learn.org today.

What is a perfect LSAT score?

The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.

Has Kim Kardashian taken the LSAT?

Despite Kim Kardashian not taking the LSAT, it remains a pivotal factor that every law school considers when selecting applicants. How to Study for the LSAT? Preparing for law school admission starts with getting ready for the LSAT, partnered with excellent LSAT prep avenues such as Odyssey Test Prep.

What was Barack Obama's GPA?

Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City as a junior, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and in English literature and lived off-campus on West 109th Street. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 and a 3.7 GPA.

What is an OK LSAT score?

Average LSAT Score

The LSAT score range is 120–180, and the median score is approximately 152. You need to get about 60 questions right (out of 99–102 questions) to get that median score of 152, which means you need to bat about 60 percent.

What is the most common flaw on the LSAT?

Confusing sufficient and necessary conditions is hands-down the most common flaw on the LSAT. It's also the flaw that tends to trip up novices the most. But understanding the difference between sufficient and necessary is a lot simpler than you might think.

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.

What's harder, PhD or law school?

What's more difficult, earning a PhD or attending law school? Definitely, earning a PhD! Attending law school can be a real grind requiring some talent and an above-average IQ but is quite doable without extraordinary dedication.