Part 2: What is the LSAT? What is on the LSAT?
The LSAT is a three-section exam measured on a scale of 120–180. The three sections are Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, and Logical Games. A score on each of these sections is then summed to produce a total score. While schools publish both their median incoming GPA and LSAT score, the LSAT score is usually taken more seriously as an indicator of an applicant’s potential than GPA.
Law schools rely on LSAT scores to help them determine the likelihood that an applicant will succeed in their respective institution. While GPAs may vary depending on academic settings, grade inflation, and the different levels of rigor in undergraduate programs, the LSAT helps even the playing field.
Studying for the LSAT is therefore paramount to a successful law school application. It is important to invest time and energy in preparing for the exam. Falling within the LSAT range of admitted students for your dream school will help ensure that you have a competitive application.
(Suggested reading: How to Get a Perfect LSAT Score: Strategies From a 180 Scorer)
Part 3: What is a good LSAT score?
The average LSAT score is around 152, though many top-100 schools will require more than the average for admissions.
Schools will compare you to other applicants from the same cycle. They will rely on an LSAT percentile, calculated against the scores of everyone who has taken the LSAT in the last three years. The percentile ranking represents the percentage of test takers who scored lower than you on the LSAT. If your score, for example, was 159, your percentile is around 77 percent.
An exceptional LSAT score will be somewhere around 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. A score of over 175 or better almost guarantees acceptance at some of the most elite universities: Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, and with an outstanding GPA, even Yale.
While stellar, achieving a 173 cannot guarantee acceptance at the country’s most elite universities. But it will allow you to be a competitive applicant to the school of your dreams.
Many, if not all, law schools will publish information about their incoming class, including their LSAT and GPA ranges. Schools will post the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles for GPA and LSAT scores. Typically, falling between the 25th and 75th percentile is a helpful indicator of your chances of being considered for a position in the incoming class and likely where a good LSAT score lies. This guide will delve into the specifics of these percentiles and what they mean below.
If you want to see how your current scores and statistics compare to national averages, LSAC has a tool that allows you to measure your LSAT score and GPA against admitted students from previous years.
Part 4: LSAT scores for top law schools
What LSAT score do I need to get into a T-6 school?
Applicants aiming for the most elite law schools typically set their sights on the group of schools known as the T-6, defined as the top six law schools according to the U.S. News & World Report rankings. For 2023-2024, the T-6 are Stanford and Yale (tied at #1); University of Chicago (#3); University of Pennsylvania (#4); and Duke, Harvard, and NYU (tied at #5).
A good LSAT score for the T-6, and what one should aim for to get in, is a 172 or higher.
While the 25th percentile score for several of these top schools is less than 172, that number is likely offset by exceptionally high GPAs or other extraordinary applicant characteristics, such as being a member of an underrepresented group or having a unique extracurricular achievement. At the Top-6 schools, you’ll need an LSAT of at least 172 to feel reasonably confident that your application is taken seriously.
What LSAT score do I need to get into a T-14 school?
Another commonly used grouping is the T-14, or law schools ranked in the top 14 by U.S. News when delineating top-tier law schools. A good LSAT score for T-14 law schools is 170–171 or higher.
In addition to the schools above, the following schools comprise the rest of the 2023-2024 T-14 schools:
Columbia and University of Virginia (tied at #8)
Northwestern University, UC Berkeley, and University of Michigan--Ann Arbor (tied at #10)
Cornell (#13)
UCLA (#14)
Georgetown and UT Austin have also appeared in the T-14. On average, T-14 schools require an LSAT between 166 (25th percentile) and 172 (75th percentile score). The 25th percentile numbers suggest some wiggle room within T-14 schools. However, remember that if you’re boasting a 25th percentile score, your GPA must be stellar.
For example, according to the LSAC tool we linked above, a Northwestern applicant with a 164 and a 3.8 GPA only has a 20to 25 percent likelihood of admission. The likelihood of success is comparable to other schools on the list. If you have an LSAT score within or below the 25th percentile, your GPA must be well above the 75th percentile.
