What is an average law school GPA?
Asked by: Kattie Wolf IV | Last update: January 24, 2026Score: 4.4/5 (52 votes)
Here, an average GPA in the range of 3.5 to 3.7 is more common. Less competitive law schools may admit students with lower GPAs, often around 3.0 to 3.4 or even lower. These schools may prioritize other factors like diversity and unique experiences over strict academic metrics.
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 3.5 GPA good for law school?
A 3.5-3.6 is a perfectly fine GPA for most tier-2 law schools, if you have a good LSAT to go with it. It's well below the median for the T14, though. 0.2-0.3 may not seem like a lot, but remember that the actual scale the vast majority of t14 applicants are applying on is a 3.3-4.3 scale, not a 0-4.3 scale.
Is a 3.7 GPA good enough for law school?
Law schools will take a 3.7 GPA and treat you like scum especially at the top 14. You can have a 179 LSAT and 3.7 gpa and they will fry an applicant for that.
Is a 3.0 GPA bad for law school?
It depends on the law school. Many law schools have grade inflation, where a 3.0 is the median score. So at those law schools, a 3.4 is relatively easy to earn. But at other law schools, a 3.4 is the top 10% of the class.
If I Had a 2.5 GPA, This Is How I Would Get Into a T14 Law School
Is a 3.6 GPA ok for law school?
A low GPA for law schools will entirely depend on your goals. If your GPA is at or below a school's 25th percentile, your GPA will be considered low for that school. So generally, if you're trying to get into the top schools, a GPA below 3.6 will be considered low.
Can I get into Harvard with a 2.7 GPA?
It's exceptionally challenging with a GPA below 3.0, but not impossible. Focus on other aspects of your application to compensate for a low GPA.
How rare is a 176 LSAT?
Less than 1% of test takers score a 176. It's a very hard thing to do. Don't let this sub skew your perception of what's realistic.
Is 3.8 GPA too low for law school?
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. Mid-tier law schools, though still competitive, might have slightly lower average GPA expectations.
What are softs for law school?
Softs refer to everything in your application that isn't "hard" data.
Is a 174 LSAT good?
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 3.5 GPA?
A high GPA is 3.99 and the median is 3.92. 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.
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 is the average debt for law students?
The average law school graduate owes $130,000 in student loan debt. 71% of law school students graduate in debt. $119,292 is the average amount students borrow just to attend law school. $92,267 is the average amount borrowed to attend one of the top 10 law schools in terms of salary-to-debt ratio.
How difficult is law school?
Law school is an academic challenge; most students agree the first year (“1L” year) is the most difficult. In part, this is because law school is taught using methods entirely different than the lecture method used in most college classrooms.
How rare is a 170 LSAT?
170 score: Scoring a 170 on the LSAT is almost always considered a good score — that means you are in the 2-3% of test-takers.
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.
Can I get into Yale law with a 3.8 GPA?
We do not utilize a GPA or standardized test score cutoff of any kind in our review process. Every year applicants from all backgrounds and with scores in all ranges are admitted to Yale Law School.
Will a 180 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 score is 75% on LSAT?
For example if your LSAT Scaled Score is 157 you will have a percentile rank of approximately 75% meaning that your Scaled Score of 157 is better than 75% of the LSAT Scaled Scores for the last three years.
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.
Can a 5.0 GPA get me into Harvard?
To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1580 SAT or a 36 ACT. You should also have a 4.2 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.
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.
What is the hardest college to get into?
Harvard University
The Harvard acceptance rate is 3%, tied with Caltech for the #1 spot on our list of hardest colleges to get into. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard is a quintessential New England school globally recognized for its rigorous academic programs and influential alumni.