What is the bell curve for the LSAT?

Asked by: Sterling Rau  |  Last update: July 11, 2025
Score: 5/5 (14 votes)

The distribution of scores is designed as one might expect: in the form of a bell curve, with most scores coming in the middle of the range and fewer scores at the extremes. On the 120–180 scale, about 2% of all test takers score lower than 130, and about 2.5% of all test takers score higher than 170.

How bad is a 135 on the LSAT?

As previously stated, the score range for any LSAT exam is 120 to 180, but the average score is about 150. However, most of the top ten law schools require a candidate to have scored at least 165 on the LSAT.

How many questions are wrong for 170 LSAT?

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.

What is 60% right on LSAT?

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 percentile is a 167 on the LSAT?

On a typical LSAT, you can still get around 18–19 questions wrong and still end up in the 160s—or around 10–12 wrong and get a 167, which is a 90th percentile score. Even a perfect score of 180 often allows you to miss a question or two.

If I Wanted A 175+ LSAT Score in February 2025, This is What I'd Do [FULL BLUEPRINT]

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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.

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.

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.

Does the LSAT get curved?

The LSAT is graded on a “curve” so that even if a test was relatively easy or difficult, a 160 on any given test is equivalent to a 160 on any other test. This means that not all tests are exactly the same level of difficulty.

Is it hard to get a 160 on the LSAT?

Generally, there are 77 or 78 scored questions on the LSAT. In order to get a 160, you'll need to get around 57 of these questions right. Between the 3 scored sections, that's about 19 right answers for each section. If you're good at one section, but not so good at another, your score will average out.

Why does the LSAT start at 120?

To facilitate score comparisons across different LSAT administrations, your raw score is converted to the LSAT scale. This converted score is the one you'll find on your score report. The LSAT scale spans from 120 to 180, with 120 representing the lowest possible score and 180 the highest.

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)

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 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.

What LSAT score did Obama get?

During his time, the median LSAT scores for Harvard Law were generally between 170 and 175. This suggests that the Obama LSAT scores were within this range, placing him in the top percentiles of test-takers.

Is legally blonde realistic?

OVERALL (fairly accurate!)

After going through it myself - overall impression of Legally Blonde? Not too shabby! I'd say the class/school scenes are pretty accurate, as well as Elle's transition from totally uncomfortable to realizing that she deserves to be at Harvard Law.

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.

Is a 2.9 GPA bad for law school?

Your low GPA doesn't guarantee rejections from law schools. Law schools look at who you are as a person, not just how well you perform academically. If your GPA was all that mattered, there would be no need for such extensive application processes.

Can I get into law school with a 155 LSAT?

For most law schools, an applicant should aim for an LSAT score of 152 or higher to gain admission.

What is the average LSAT score without studying?

Based on our independent research, students who sit for the LSAT without studying typically score between 145 and 153. However, that is the average and does not mean you can not score higher than that.

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.

Is a 135 on the LSAT bad?

Average LSAT Score

LSAT passing score of at least 165 on the LSAT. In recent years, the average LSAT score has stayed at around 151-152. Correspondingly, applicants should aim to score 151 at a minimum to get into an accredited law school because of how competitive and challenging admissions are.

What LSAT score do I need for UCLA?

Median LSAT: 170. 75th percentile LSAT: 171.