What percentage of philosophy majors go to law school?
Asked by: Mrs. Pink Romaguera IV | Last update: October 17, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (44 votes)
A 2014 analysis of data from the Law School Admissions Council by Derek Muller, a nationally recognized scholar in the field of election law, found that philosophy majors scored sixth best in terms of LSAT and GPA scores and were admitted to law school at a higher percent (75%) than any other major.
How many philosophy majors go to law school?
Business and criminal justice majors had lower LSAT scores and GPAs overall.” Philosophy majors scored sixth best in terms of LSAT and GPA scores. They were also admitted to law school at a higher percent than any other major — 75 percent, according to an analysis of data provided by Muller.
Are philosophy majors good for law school?
There can be little doubt that the philosophy major provides the best preparation for an education and career in the law. First, philosophy consistently ranks first among pre-law majors in average LSAT score, surely the most important criterion for admission to law schools.
Do philosophy majors do well on the LSAT?
Philosophy Majors Do Very Well on the LSAT
Philosophy majors tend to do better on the LSAT — which is the law school entrance exam — than students in many other popular majors.
What major gets into law school the most?
About 80 percent of law school applicants with an arts and humanities major get accepted. Majoring in this course of study exposes you to wide-ranging coursework that law schools desire —applicants with well-rounded knowledge.
The BEST College Degrees For Law School (Spoiler: NOT Political Science)
What major does best on LSAT?
Statistics majors had the highest median LSAT at 168 out of a possible 180, followed by math majors at 167. Biophysics and computer science majors tied for No. 3 with median scores of 165 with biomedical majors not far behind.
What degree is most common at Harvard?
The most popular majors overall in Harvard are Political Science and Government, Economics, Social Sciences, Evolutionary Biology, and Psychology. Both men and women tend to lean towards those fields of study, but a majority of men are found in Physics, Math, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Statistics.
Is psychology or philosophy better for law school?
It is easy to see why admissions committees at law schools tend to favor philosophy majors. Perhaps more than anything else, law students and attorneys need to be skilled at evaluating the strength of arguments and counterarguments.
Are philosophy degrees respected?
The philosophy major is also exceptional training for many other post-graduate paths, such as law school. In fact, statistics indicate that philosophy majors perform very well on standardized tests for post-graduate and professional study. The GRE (“the SAT for graduate school”) – Philosophy majors come out on top.
Is a philosophy minor useful for law school?
Philosophy majors, on average, perform better on the LSAT than any other Liberal Arts major, including those in criminal justice and political science. In fact, according to The National Jurist (2014), a higher percentage of philosophy majors are admitted to law school than any other major.
Is philosophy a hard major?
Philosophy is a difficult subject, and becoming adept at understanding difficult philosophical texts and thinking through complex philosophical problems will help you to solve problems in other areas, as well.
What is the best pre-law major?
- Political Science.
- Finance.
- Arts and Humanities.
- Communications.
- Psychology.
- Sociology.
- Business Administration.
- Criminal Justice.
What jobs do philosophy majors get?
- Business analyst.
- Chaplain.
- Civil Service Fast Streamer.
- Health service manager.
- Human resources officer.
- Local government officer.
- Marketing executive.
- Newspaper journalist.
Where do most philosophy majors end up?
Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy
These highly critical, analytical, and argumentative skills that are developed often lead students to pursue legal studies, MBA programs, or seminaries. Jobs for philosophy majors include a lawyer, systems analyst, cultural affairs officer, technical writer, and a critic.
What degree do most lawyers have?
Juris Doctor (JD)
A Juris Doctor degree is the required legal degree for professionals who are pursuing a career as a practicing attorney.
What is the hardest law degree to get?
The hardest law school to get into is Yale Law School, with an acceptance rate of 5.5%. Followed by: Stanford Law School: 7% acceptance rate. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School: 3.8% acceptance rate.
Is philosophy a high paying major?
The median annual wage for careers in philosophy is $77,610, which is significantly higher than the national average of $58,260. Salaries can vary depending on the specific job and level of experience.
Is philosophy a good major for law school?
LSAT statistics show that philosophy students produce some of the highest scores among all majors, coming in second only to physics/math majors. The study of philosophy provides a statistically proven path to success in law school.
What is a good GPA for philosophy?
However, successful applicants nearly always have an average GPA higher than 3.8 in their philosophy courses. (They also tend to have exceptional overall GPAs, but we pay most attention to grades in philosophy courses.)
How well do philosophy majors do on the LSAT?
On the LSAT, philosophy majors outperform students with any other humanities degree and rank second highest of the fields with the largest number of students taking the exam for the 2022–2023 academic year. Only economics majors average better scores.
Can you become a lawyer with a philosophy degree?
Yes, philosophy is a great choice for pre-law. A significant number of students in philosophy are interested in law school, as this career choice is a natural fit. In fact, philosophy is one of the best majors for law school prep—but there is no one universal pre-law major.
Which is harder, psychology or philosophy?
Which is harder to study: psychology or philosophy? It depends on your strengths. Psychology requires understanding statistics and conducting experiments, while philosophy demands strong reasoning and abstract thinking. Both can be challenging in their own ways.
What is the most popular major for law school?
Political science is a very popular pre-law major because politics is heavily interrelated with legislation. The study of political behavior, government systems, and how the judicial system works are all very useful in law school.
What is the least popular major at Harvard?
Quantitative Social Sciences, Math and Computation, and Arts were the most popular joint concentration options, while Language, Literature, and Religion; History; and Engineering were the least popular.
What is Yale's most popular major?
- History (200)
- Political Science (145)
- Economics (128)
- English (107)
- Biology (98)