A good score on the Law School Admission Test, known as the LSAT, can boost your odds of getting into law school. But an ideal score at one program may fall short at another, so aspiring attorneys can use admission statistics to set a target LSAT score for themselves.
The LSAT is designed to assess whether a candidate is prepared for a demanding legal education, and it is made up of two parts: a multiple-choice exam divided into several sections and an unscored written essay. Test-takers who complete the LSAT receive scores ranging from 120 to 180. Scores in the high 160s are above the median among admitted students at most ranked law schools in the U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings, but below the median at certain prestigious and selective J.D. programs, where the norm is for enrolled students to have a score of 170 or higher.
However, while an applicant’s LSAT score is important, it is not the only factor in an admissions decision. Law schools typically consider multiple application components when comparing and contrasting candidates, including personal statements, academic transcripts, resumes, diversity statements and GPAs. J.D. hopefuls can also distinguish themselves through unique work experiences and extracurricular activities, as well as through admissions interviews.
Many law schools accept results from the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, General Test in place of the LSAT. (There is a list of such schools on the GRE website). In recent years, some law schools have adopted a test-optional approach, and there continues to be a push among some to remove the LSAT as an admissions requirement altogether.
This summer at the ABA annual meeting, the group’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar will resubmit a proposal to drop the rule that accredited law schools must require standardized test scores. If passed, the earliest the change would take effect is 2025, so for now, J.D. hopefuls will still need to study for and pass the LSAT to be admitted to law school.
According to data collected by U.S. News for 196 ranked law schools, the median LSAT score for incoming full-time students in fall 2022 was 157. However, prospective students hoping to gain admission to a competitive law school will need to set their sights higher when studying for this lengthy exam. Among the 14 ranked schools with the highest-scoring students, including ties, the overall median LSAT score was 172.
Yale Law School in Connecticut, with a median LSAT score of 175, tops the list. Harvard Law School in Massachusetts is close behind with a median LSAT score of 174. Stanford Law School in California, the University of Chicago Law School and Columbia Law School in New York are tied for third place with a median LSAT score of 173.
All of the programs in the chart below are ranked in the top 20 of the U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings.
Here is a list of the 14 ranked law schools with the highest median LSAT scores among incoming students in fall 2022. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.