What LSAT is needed for top law schools?

Asked by: Dr. Tyra Homenick Jr.  |  Last update: November 5, 2023
Score: 4.1/5 (36 votes)

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. Of course, this all depends on which schools you are applying to.

What LSAT score do you need to get into a top law school?

The typical LSAT score for 2022 law school enrollees was about 159, but top programs require scores in the 170-175 range.

What LSAT does Harvard require?

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.

What is the average LSAT score for top 14?

LSAT scores vary from 120 to 180 but as you can see above, the typical median LSAT score for T14 law schools is quite high at 171. This infamously difficult test is designed to assess skills required for success in law school, such as reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.

What is the top 99 percentile LSAT?

An exceptional LSAT score will be somewhere around a 173, which is the 99th percentile, according to the Law School Admissions Council—if you received a 173, you scored better than 99 percent of all test takers.

LSAT Score Requirements for Top 14 Law Schools

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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).

What is the top 2% LSAT?

No. However, scoring a 170 or higher on the LSAT will place you in the top 2-3% of exam-takers and ensure you are a highly competitive candidate at the top law schools in the U.S. In fact, only Yale, Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia currently have median LSAT scores above 170.

What LSAT score did Elle Woods get?

LSAT Lessons from Legally Blonde (really!)

As you probably know, the LSAT is scored from 120 to 180. Elle Woods was able to raise her score from a 143 to a 179 just by diligently preparing.

What is an impressive LSAT score?

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. Of course, this all depends on which schools you are applying to.

How hard is a 155 on the LSAT?

A score of 155 on the LSAT is a classic 'in-between' score. While the score is not too low, it will also not put you in the cream of LSAT test takers. An LSAT score of 155 can at best be classified as an average score which will put you in the hunt for a decent law school. The LSAT is scored on a scale of 120-180.

What is the average LSAT score for first time takers?

Across testing years, mean LSAT scores were highest for second-time test takers (151.7), followed closely by first-time (151.0) and third-time (149.4) test takers.

What LSAT do you need for Yale?

To get into Yale Law School, you should spend your undergraduate years working as hard as you can to earn top grades. You should also invest plenty of time in studying for the LSAT in order to aim for a score of at least 175, and preferably 176 or above.

What LSAT do you need for Stanford?

3. What LSAT Score Do I Need for Stanford Law? While there are no exact LSAT score cutoffs, you should aim for an LSAT score between 172 - 180 to be a more competitive applicant.

Does LSAT or GPA matter more?

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 is the average LSAT score without studying?

The average LSAT score without studying ranges from 135 to 145, well below the median at 151 in the 50th percentile. Preparing with practice tests and learning the skills you need for each exam section is the key to boosting your LSAT scores.

How many times can you take LSAT?

How many times may I take the LSAT? Three times in a single testing year (the next testing cycle begins with the August 2022 test). Five times within the current and five past testing years (the period in which LSAC reports scores to law schools). A total of seven times over a lifetime.

What major scores highest on LSAT?

For an updated look at this analysis, here are the LSAT scores and GPAs by major for 2017-2018 law school applicants based on numbers reported by the LSAC. The general trends identified by Muller remain the same with one notable difference—Math majors' LSAT scores and GPAs are now the highest among all the majors!

Do law schools look at all LSAT scores?

You will find that most law schools look at the higher or highest LSAT test score for applicants with multiple scores. However, applicants should keep in mind that Admissions Committee members will see all scores and may be negatively influenced by a large number of tests or a downward trend in scores.

What law schools can I get into with a 160 LSAT?

160 is the average-admitted LSAT score at the next tier up, schools like George Mason, Tulane, University of Arizona, and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

What did Legally Blonde score on the LSAT?

In the film, Elle scored a 179 on her LSAT. That is one point away from a perfect score of 180.

Who got a 179 on the LSAT?

Anyone who is preparing for the LSAT and has seen the movie Legally Blonde has probably wondered: “How on earth did Elle Woods go from a 143 to a 179?” One obvious answer is: “It's fiction.” But even in the real world, such a large jump in LSAT score is indeed possible after months of dedicated preparation.

Is 147 a low LSAT score?

Typical LSAT score ranges include: 120-147 Low. 148-156 Mid. 157-164 High.

What is the lowest LSAT accepted?

How do I get into law school with a low LSAT score? 6 ways to boost your chances of admission: Retake the LSAT - the lowest acceptable LSAT score is 140. Take the GRE - but only if you'll do better percentile wise than the LSAT.

What is the lowest to highest LSAT score?

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

Do most people do better on their second LSAT?

From a scoring standpoint, test takers who repeat the LSAT increase their scores by an average of 2.6 points the second time they take the test, and increase by another 2.3 points the third time they take the test (as compared to the second time).