Average LSAT Score and Scores of Accepted Law Students
Credit: Image Credit: d3sign / Moment / Getty ImagesData Summary
The average LSAT score for first-time takers was 151, according to scores tracked from 2006-2013.[1]- During this period, second-time test takers had the highest LSAT average score of about 152.Note Reference [1]
- The average national LSAT score for full-time, first-year JD enrollees for fall 2022 was about 159.[2]
- The average GPA of full-time, first-year JD enrollees for fall 2022 was 3.6.Note Reference [2]
- Of the 427,043 applications (not applicants) to JD programs, only 128,500 were given offers. That’s roughly 30% of the total applications submitted.Note Reference [2]
- Harvard University received around 8,200 applications for the 2022 cycle and gave offers to 822 candidates, translating to an acceptance rate of approximately 10%.Note Reference [2]
- In 2021-2022, nearly 130,000 people took the LSAT in total, and about 52% of them were first-time test-takers.[3]
- In 2022, there were 35,000 first-year, full-time students enrolled at JD-granting institutions.Note Reference [2]
- Nearly twice as many people applied to law school in 2018-2019 as did in 2021-2022.[4]
- The number of Black law school applicants more than halved, going from 9,000 to 3,400.Note Reference [4]
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test used by graduate schools to gauge test takers’ readiness for law studies.
The American Bar Association (ABA) has approved 196 law schools to grant Juris Doctor (JD) degrees.[5] Prospective law students can now choose between taking the GRE or the LSAT at most of these institutions.[6]
Law school is a huge investment, requiring a significant amount of time and money. Knowing the average LSAT score can help you plan your application process and help set realistic expectations.
Read on to learn more about national LSAT score averages, average GPAs for law school applications, and first-year enrollment statistics.
Average LSAT Score
LSAT scores range from 120-180. The ABA reports the median scores of accepted students at all of its approved law schools. We took the average of those median scores to find a total average,
or typical, LSAT score. For full-time, first-year JD students in fall 2022, that was about 159 (158.5).
This number just includes the scores of those who successfully enrolled in law school. It is not the overall average score. The average of all test-takers would be much lower, considering it would include rejected applicants’ scores too.
| Percentile | All-School Average |
|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | 160.9 |
| 50th Percentile | 158.5 |
| 25th Percentile | 154.8 |
GPAs of Future Law Students
The ABA also shares the median college GPAs of accepted students at its approved law schools. We found the average of all schools’ GPAs categorized by 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile. The typical GPA of full-time, first-year JD student enrollees for fall 2022 was 3.6.
| Percentile | All-School Average GPA |
|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | 3.77 |
| 50th Percentile | 3.59 |
| 25th Percentile | 3.30 |
How Many Applicants Get Accepted to Law School?
- Of the 427,000 applications — not applicants — to JD programs for 2022, only 128,500 were given offers.
- In other words, roughly 30% of the total applications submitted were accepted, and 70% were rejected.
- Each of the 196 JD-granting institutions received roughly 2,200 applications on average.
- The range greatly varies, however, with Harvard University receiving over 8,000 applications for the 2022 cycle.
- Harvard University made offers to around 800 candidates, bringing their acceptance rate to 10%.
- Georgetown University received the most applications (11,325).
- Columbia University (8,000), New York University (8,900), and George Washington University (9,000) all had high numbers of applications as well.
By the Numbers: JD Applicants and Enrollees, Fall 2022
427,043
Total JD Applications
128,500
Total Offers Made
36,809
Total Enrollees
34,902
Total Number of First-Year Students
Note that the total number of first-year students
includes those who deferred or were previously admitted. This explains why there is a smaller total number of first-year students than enrollees.
LSAT Scores by School
While the typical LSAT score is about 159, more selective universities may only accept much higher scores.
LSAT Score Ranges for Ivy League Law Schools
To gain admittance to an Ivy League law school, you should score in the 172-175 range. In addition to a stellar LSAT score, many Ivy League law schools also require near-perfect GPAs.
| School | Median LSAT Score | 25th-75th Percentile | Median GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University | 175 | 171-178 | 3.94 |
| Harvard University | 174 | 170-176 | 3.92 |
| Columbia University | 173 | 171-175 | 3.87 |
| Cornell University | 172 | 170-174 | 3.87 |
| University of Pennsylvania (Carey) | 172 | 167-173 | 3.90 |
LSAT Scores for More Top Law Schools
Other popular, top law schools require LSAT scores not far below those of Ivy Leagues. A score in the high 160s or low 170s appears to be the middle range of accepted students’ scores for many of these selective programs.
| School | Median LSAT Score | 25th-75th Percentile | Median GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | 173 | 170-176 | 3.92 |
| University of Chicago | 173 | 169-175 | 3.91 |
| New York University | 172 | 169-174 | 3.88 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 172 | 164-173 | 3.94 |
| University of Virginia | 171 | 166-173 | 3.94 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 171 | 166-172 | 3.90 |
| Northwestern University (Pritzker) | 171 | 166-172 | 3.89 |
| Georgetown University | 171 | 166-172 | 3.87 |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | 171 | 166-172 | 3.83 |
| Duke University | 170 | 168-171 | 3.85 |
| University of California, Berkeley | 170 | 167-172 | 3.83 |
| Boston University | 170 | 164-171 | 3.84 |
| University of Texas, Austin | 170 | 166-171 | 3.84 |
| Vanderbilt University | 170 | 163-170 | 3.90 |
| University of Florida (Levin) | 169 | 162-170 | 3.90 |
| University of Southern California (Gould) | 168 | 165-169 | 3.87 |
| University of Georgia | 168 | 156-169 | 3.87 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 166 | 162-167 | 3.77 |
Law Schools With Average LSAT Scores
Getting into law school is no easy feat and even the schools with median LSAT scores closer to the national average of 159 reject about half of their applications.
| School | Median LSAT Score | 25th-75th Percentile | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska | 158 | 155-161 | 61% |
| University of Oregon | 158 | 155-161 | 55% |
| University of Kansas | 158 | 153-160 | 55% |
| University of Maine | 158 | 153-162 | 55% |
| University of Cincinnati | 158 | 156-161 | 45% |
| University of Hawaii | 157 | 155-160 | 30% |
| Louisiana State University | 157 | 154-159 | 53% |
| Hofstra University | 156 | 151-158 | 45% |
Law Schools With the Highest Acceptance Rates
All law programs are challenging to get into. That said, the schools listed below have median LSAT scores well below what’s typical nationally. They also have relatively high acceptance rates.
When you’re applying to law schools, also be sure to check out a specific program’s graduation rates and job placements to see if it’s a worthwhile investment for you.
| School | Median LSAT Score | 25th-75th Percentile | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake University | 154 | 151-157 | 71% |
| Creighton University | 153 | 149-157 | 68% |
| Capital University | 150 | 148-155 | 67% |
| University of South Dakota | 151 | 148-155 | 67% |
| University of Idaho | 152 | 149-156 | 67% |
| Widener University, Delaware | 150 | 148-152 | 66% |
| University of Akron | 153 | 151-156 | 63% |
| University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth | 152 | 147-154 | 59% |
| Willamette University | 154 | 151-156 | 59% |
| University of Baltimore | 154 | 151-157 | 57% |
| University of Arkansas, Little Rock | 152 | 150-156 | 56% |
| Campbell University | 154 | 152-158 | 56% |
| Duquesne University | 155 | 154-158 | 56% |
How Many People Take the LSAT?
Roughly 70,000 students have taken the LSAT so far for the 2022-2023 cycle.Note Reference [3] The total number of test-takers is expected to be similar to that of 2021-2022.
- In 2021-2022, roughly 130,000 people took the LSAT in total, and 51.4% of them were first-time test-takers.Note Reference [3]
- Out of the 130,000 LSAT test-takers, less than 63,000 were law school applicants.Note Reference [4]
- Enrollment at JD-granting law schools increased from 114,520 students in 2020 to 117,501 in 2021.[7]
Did You Know…
As of November 2022, the ABA panel decided to no longer mandate admissions tests for law schools.
The change will take effect for students applying for the 2026-2027 school year. All ABA-approved law schools can determine for themselves whether to require the test in their admissions process.[10]
As of December 2022, the ABA also announced that it would allow students applying to law school to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), an alternate standardized test.[11] Traditionally, the LSAT has been the only test accepted. The decision came after a new study released by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) showed that GRE results are a strong predictor of law school performance.[12] The GRE can also be used for students applying to master’s of business administration (MBA) and other graduate programs.
LSAT Takers by Gender
More women than men applied to law school every year since at least 2018. Almost 10,000 more women applied to law school than men in 2021. The gap slightly lessened in 2022 when roughly 8,000 more women than men applied to law school.
LSAT Takers by Race/Ethnicity
Broken down by race/ethnicity, white folks make up the majority of applicants.Note Reference [4]
- Hispanic/Latino/a people make up the second-biggest group to apply to law school.Note Reference [9]
- Some racial/ethnic groups saw an increase in application numbers (Asian, Hispanic/Latino/a, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Puerto Rican) while others saw drops in numbers (American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, and White).
- There was no significant drop or increase in applications from 2018-2022 by any racial/ethnic group.
Frequently Asked Questions About the LSAT
How long is the LSAT?
The LSAT is roughly three hours long. It is made up of four 35-minute test sections with a 10-minute break between the second and third sections.[13]
What is the average LSAT score for first-time test-takers?
According to data taken from 2006-2013, the average LSAT score for first-time test-takers was 151. Second-time test takers had the highest LSAT average score of about 152 (151.7 to be exact). Those who took the test a third-time had the lowest average of the three with about 149 (149.4).Note Reference [1]
How many times can you take the LSAT?
From September 2019 onwards, test-takers are allowed to take the LSAT up to three times in a single year. Test-takers can take the LSAT up to five times within five testing years, and a total of seven times in the course of a lifetime.[14]
Note that canceled LSAT scores still count toward the limit. Only absences and withdrawals do not count.Note Reference [14]
Lastly, the LSAT-Flex test, which is the online version of the LSAT that was introduced in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, also does not count towards the test limits.Note Reference [14]
Those who have scored a perfect score of 180 in the past five testing years are also not allowed to retake the LSAT.Note Reference [14]