LSAT Scores for the Top 100 Law Schools: The LSAT Scores you Need to Reach Your Goals.

LSAT scores top 100 law schools - image by Magoosh

What’s a good score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)? The average range is from 120 to 180 points. That’s a pretty narrow score range, but it reflects a wide diversity of abilities and outcomes. The mean LSAT score is approximately 150, but you’re going to have to do well above average to get into a top law school. Here’s what average and good LSAT scores are for different goals, including LSAT scores for the top 100 law schools. Also, check out this guide to the LSAT score scale as well as our top tips for getting a high score on the LSAT!

What You Need to Know About Scores in 2024
LSAT Scores for the Top 100 Law Schools [Infographic]
Good LSAT Scores
What is a Good LSAT Score for Your Goals?
Scores and Your Future Salary
Takeaways

LSAT Scores: What You Need to Know in 2024

The LSAT test currently has approximately 75-76 graded questions, with each correct answer counting for one point of your raw score. From your raw scores, the test is graded on an LSAT score scale from 120-180. The average LSAT score is about 150. To get into a top 14 law school, you need to score above 166, and to get into a top 50 law school, you need 153 or above.

If you plan to re-take the LSAT in an attempt to get a specific score, make sure to read this piece about non-disclosed LSATS. Also, keep in mind that you can cancel your LSAT scores if you’re not feeling good about your testing experience, but you only have a few days to do so.

Your LSAT score is the most important piece of your law school application.

Click to read more about why they’re important

How important are LSAT scores?

The two most important pieces of your law school application are your undergrad GPA and LSAT scores. There is some debate as to which of these two factors in law school admissions is more important. This debate is based on differences in law school admissions departments. Each department will naturally place a different emphasis on the various law school application requirements (undergraduate GPA, “soft factors” like the personal statement, and LSAT), prioritizing them based on their own formula.

However.

If you look at the most up-to-date law school rankings, you’ll notice that a program’s rank tends to correlate more with admitted students’ scores than with their undergraduate GPAs. The top programs require a top score. And an excellent score can help compensate for a less-than-stellar GPA.

Some law school admissions departments openly claim that the LSAT makes up 70% of a student’s admissions chances, with the other 30% attributed to GPA. You read that right—the morning that you spent taking the LSAT might be more important than the four years you spent studying in college.

So, I feel pretty confident when I say—your score is the most important piece of your law school application.

Why are LSAT scores so important?

The logic is fairly straightforward. The LSAT was designed to determine how likely you are to succeed in law school. Your test scores provide the best apples to apples measure of how law school applicants stack up against one another. While levels of grade inflation and academic rigor vary from one undergraduate university to another, the LSAT was built to be a consistent measure of ability for all test takers. Good scores are important because the LSAT provides law schools with the best means of measuring how prospective students stack up. (Side note: check out this overview of the average LSAT score by college major).

The takeaway here is twofold. First and foremost, studying for the LSAT is worth a significant investment of time and effort. Increasing your score will drastically improve your admissions chances. Second, for sending off your LSAT scores, be sure to research the law schools you plan to apply to. Some programs actually publish the calculation that they use to determine whether or not they will advance a candidate. Knowing this information will help you figure out the likelihood that you’ll be accepted, given the strength of your undergrad GPA and LSAT scores.

So now you’re convinced that the LSAT is really important. Time for a crash course on how LSAT scoring works.

LSAT Scores for the Top 100 Law Schools

Ready for a little data visualization? Take a look at the LSAT scores for the top 100 law schools. Each responsive dot in the chart below represents one of the top 100 law schools in the United States. Hover over a dot to learn more about that program’s application requirements. You can also drag your mouse over an area to zoom in, then right-click to reset the view! Then, scroll down for more info on law school LSAT scores!

LSAT Scores for the Top 10 Law Schools

Do you envision yourself graduating from an ultra-prestigious law school like Yale, Harvard, or Stanford? It’s a beautiful dream, and one that you shouldn’t discount. If your undergrad GPA is 3.8 or above, and the soft factors of your application are strong, then a great score could put you in contention.

And by a great LSAT score, I mean near-perfect.

The table of LSAT scores by school shows some important trends. The 75th percentile LSAT score for a top 10 school ranges from 171 (Duke University) to 178 (Yale). The 25th percentile LSAT scoring range is from 166 to 171. These are the top-ranked schools for a reason—they are tough to get into. Only 5.7% of applicants earn the right to join Yale Law School each year. So, congratulations to Yalies Hillary and Bill Clinton, Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Gerald Ford…you really raised the bar for prospective students!

The table below shows 2023-2024’s ten highest-ranked law schools according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Schools report.

Law School Rank	Law School Name	LSAT Score 25th-75th Percentile Range	Acceptance Rate
1 (tie)	Stanford University	170-176	6.9%
1 (tie)	Yale University	171-178	5.7%
3	University of Chicago	169-175	14.2%
4	University of Pennsylvania	167-173	9.7%
5 (tie)	Duke University	168-171	10.7%
5 (tie)	Harvard University	170-176	10.1%
5 (tie)	New York University	169-174	15.7%
8 (tie)	Columbia University	171-175	11.9%
8 (tie)	University of Virginia	166-173	12.9%
10 (tie)	Northwestern University (Pritzker)	166-172	15%
10 (tie)	University of California – Berkeley	167-172	12.5%
10 (tie)	University of Michigan — Ann Arbor	166-172	13.5%

Scores for Law Schools Ranked 11-50

Did you look at that chart of reach schools above and think to yourself, “on second thought, a top 50 law school would be a great fit for me”? Well, that’s understandable. Even if you’re aiming for a top ten school, it doesn’t hurt to apply to some target and safety schools, as well.

Here is where the LSAT score ranges become really diverse. Say you really want to go to fifteenth-best law school, the Georgetown University. With about a 17.6% acceptance rate, this is an incredibly competitive school. The 75th percentile LSAT score is a mighty 172.

Go ahead and filter the table below by your score. A 160+ LSAT score will provide you with quite a few options. You can also search by law school to see stats on your top prospects.

Law School Rank	Law School Name	LSAT Score 25th-75th Percentile Range	Acceptance Rate
13	Cornell University	170-174	17.4%
14	University of California – Los Angeles	166-172	15.5%
15	Georgetown University	166-172	17.6%
16 (tie)	University of Minnesota	N/A	37.2%
16 (tie)	University of Southern California (Gould)	165-169	12.7%
16 (tie)	University of Texas – Austin	166-171	14.6%
16 (tie)	Vanderbilt University	163-170	14.5%
20 (tie)	University of Georgia	156-169	14.8%
20 (tie)	Washington University in St. Louis	164-173	18%
22 (tie)	Brigham Young University (Clark)	165-171	31.4%
22 (tie)	Ohio State University (Moritz)	159-166	37.1%
22 (tie)	University of Florida (Levin)	162-170	16.9%
22 (tie)	University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill	162-167	14.6%
22 (tie)	Wake Forest University	159-166	33%
27 (tie)	Boston University	164-171	16.3%
27 (tie)	University of Notre Dame	162-170	24.6%
29 (tie)	Boston College	162-167	10.2%
29 (tie)	Fordham University	164-168	18.8%
29 (tie)	Texas A&M University	158-166	16.3%
32 (tie)	Arizona State University (O’Connor)	158-168	19.7%
32 (tie)	George Mason University	158-167	19.6%
32 (tie)	University of Utah (Quinney)	158-164	31.9%
35 (tie)	Emory University	161-169	26%
35 (tie)	George Washington University	162-169	25%
35 (tie)	University of Alabama	159-168	25.8%
35 (tie)	University of California — Irvine	162-168	19.5%
35 (tie)	University of Iowa	161-165	41.3%
40 (tie)	University of Kansas	153-160	55.3%
40 (tie)	University of Wisconsin — Madison	157-167	35.2%
40 (tie)	Washington and Lee University	159-166	32.7%
43 (tie)	University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign	162-167	34.7%
43 (tie)	Villanova University (Widger)	N/A	16.5%
45 (tie)	Indiana University — Bloomington (Maurer)	158-165	43.4%
45 (tie)	Pepperdine University (Caruso)	159-166	27.7%
45 (tie)	SMU (Dedman)	160-165	33.9%
45 (tie)	William and Mary Law School	160-166	46%
49 (tie)	Baylor University	159-164	23.9%
49 (tie)	University of Washington	160-166	30.3%

Rankings data according to US News & World Report’s 2023 Law School Rankings. Data represents the most recently admitted class.

Scores for Law Schools Ranked 51-100

If you’re scoring in the 155 range on the LSAT, or you are looking for a local safety school to apply to, then take a look at the U.S. law schools that are ranked 51–100. There are a lot of great, and often overlooked, options on this list of the second half of the LSAT scores for the top 100 law schools.

Law School Rank	Law School Name	LSAT Score 25th-75th Percentile Range	Acceptance Rate
51 (tie)	University of Maryland (Carey)	157-164	29.5%
51 (tie)	University of Oklahoma	155-160	42.5%
51 (tie)	University of Tennessee–Knoxville	156-162	33.2%
54 (tie)	Temple University	160-165	36.5%
54 (tie)	University of Arizona (Rogers)	158-164	24.9%
56 (tie)	Florida State University	159-166	19.6%
56 (tie)	Seton Hall University	154-162	40.3%
56 (tie)	University of Colorado–Boulder	159-166	31.2%
56 (tie)	Wayne State University	154-163	35.5%
60 (tie)	Florida International University	156-162	22.6%
60 (tie)	Loyola Marymount University	157-163	34.4%
60 (tie)	St. John’s University	154-164	39.9%
60 (tie)	University of California College of the Law, San Francisco	157-163	29%
60 (tie)	University of California–Davis	163-166	25.2%
60 (tie)	University of Houston	157-162	32.1%
60 (tie)	University of Kentucky (Rosenberg)	155-160	50.1%
60 (tie)	University of Richmond	158-165	33.7%
60 (tie)	University of South Carolina	156-161	37.6%
69 (tie)	Georgia State University	157-162	28.4%
69 (tie)	Yeshiva University (Cardozo)	159-166	33.8%
71 (tie)	Marquette University	153-158	41%
71 (tie)	Northeastern University	158-166	31.1%
71 (tie)	Texas Tech University	154-160	36.8%
71 (tie)	Tulane University	157-163	43.3%
71 (tie)	University of Connecticut	156-162	28%
71 (tie)	University of Miami	156-164	33.5%
71 (tie)	University of Missouri	156-162	51.4%
78 (tie)	University of Oregon	155-161	55.3%
78 (tie)	University of San Diego	157-163	34.5%
80 (tie)	Case Western Reserve University	153-162	39.2%
80 (tie)	Drexel University (Kline)	152-161	31%
80 (tie)	Pennsylvania State University – University Park	156-163	30.9%
80 (tie)	University of Denver (Sturm)	156-162	48.5%
84 (tie)	Lewis & Clark College (Northwestern)	158-164	52%
84 (tie)	Loyola University Chicago	157-161	41.7%
84 (tie)	Stetson University	156-159	31%
84 (tie)	University of Cincinnati	156-161	44.8%
88	Drake University	151-157	71.3%
89 (tie)	American University (Washington)	156-163	33.8%
89 (tie)	Duquesne University (Kline)	153-158	56.3%
89 (tie)	Pennsylvania State University Dickinson Law	156-163	36.8%
89 (tie)	Saint Louis University	153-161	61.2%
89 (tie)	University of Nebraska–Lincoln	155-161	60.9%
89 (tie)	University of Nevada–Las Vegas	155-162	35.4%
89 (tie)	University of Pittsburgh	159-163	33.2%
96 (tie)	University of Montana (Blewett)	151-158	66.1%
96 (tie)	University of New Mexico	152-160	47%
96 (tie)	University of St. Thomas	152-159	65.5%
99 (tie)	Gonzaga University	152-156	61.9%
99 (tie)	Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent)	155-161	50.5%
99 (tie)	Indiana University–Indianapolis (McKinney)	151-158	64.9%
99 (tie)	Louisiana State University–Baton Rouge (Hebert)	154-159	52.5%
99 (tie)	Mercer University (George)	153-157	46.1%
99 (tie)	University of Louisville (Brandeis)	152-158	54.2%

Good LSAT Scores

You can score between 120 and 180, but a good LSAT score very much depends on your goals, the programs you are applying to, and the other aspects of your application. You should aim for the 50th to 75th percentile for your “dream” law program.

Do you not have a “dream law school”? That’s okay. This isn’t college admissions, and many law school applicants don’t have their hearts set on one specific program. If your “dream school” is the highest-ranked law program you can get into, then preparing for a great score should be your number one priority.

Is your LSAT score good enough?

Since you’re reading this post, I’m going to guess that you fall into one of two categories.

You’ve already taken the LSAT and are now trying to determine which law schools you can get into with your score. You would consider retaking the LSAT if your score isn’t good enough for the caliber of law school that you’re hoping to attend.
You haven’t taken the LSAT yet and are trying to figure out what score you need to get into a top program. You’ve probably taken a practice test and are doing your research to set a score goal.

In either case, the first step in figuring out whether or not your LSAT score is good enough is to research the scores and score percentiles of each law school’s newly admitted class. If you have a score from a practice test, you can then convert it to an LSAT percentile.

(When we discussed LSAT score percentiles earlier in this post, I was speaking in the context of LSAT Score Reports. The LSAT score percentile that you’ll see on your score report tells you how your score compares to that of other students who took that test. This is slightly different.)

What is a Good LSAT Score for Your Goals?

You know the average scores and LSAT scores for the top 100 law schools—now let’s break it down a little more, and talk about some specific scores:

Is 150 a good LSAT score?

According to StartClass.com, there are over 50 law schools in the United States with scores of 150 or lower within their median range (though, I’ll warn you that you’ll find very few of them in the table of Top 100 Law Schools).

When is a 150 LSAT good?

A score of 150 on the LSAT is within the range of “an LSAT score needed for law school.” In other words, it’s good enough to get into law school, despite what anyone says to the contrary…just not a top law school. (And that’s okay!)

So does that mean 150 is a good LSAT score? It does if your only goal is to get into any law school, and for many people, that’s exactly their goal. In this sense, you can think of a 150 as a good score for the passionate applicant. These are people who feel driven to practice law because they understand the job, love what it entails, and are prepared to work hard regardless of compensation or recognition.

When is a 150 LSAT not good?

If you’re applying to law school primarily because you are searching for financial and professional stability, a 150 is probably not a promising score. A score of 150 most likely means that you’ll be attending a lower tier school, and thus will have more limited access to lucrative positions at big firms.

With this is mind, getting a score in the 150s when your scores are released might mean you should consider retaking the LSAT.

Is 160 a good LSAT score?

Of the 205 ABA-approved law schools in the United States, only about 40 of them have median scores above 160. That means that a score of 160 would put you above the median at 80% of the law schools in the country.

When is a 160 LSAT good?

Most people consider anything above a 160 to be a good LSAT score on your LSAT test date. In this context, “good” really only means a score that sounds respectable and that most law schools will look upon favorably. Compare this to scoring above 1800 on the SAT (or above 1200, depending on when you took the SAT) or above 25 on the ACT.

When is a 160 LSAT not good?

…to those of you who are aiming for top 20 schools, you’ll need to set your sights a bit higher than 160. As you can see from the tables, basically all of the top 20 law schools in the US have median LSAT score ranges of 162 or higher. As a reminder, that’s just the median score range, so your chances aren’t ruined if you don’t hit that mark. However, you’ll have a competitive edge if you can get your score up above the school’s median.

Furthermore, a 160 might not be desirable for students seeking scholarships.

Is 170 a good LSAT score?

scores above 170 are very good lsat scores

A 170 or higher means you’re scoring in the top 2-3% of LSAT test-takers, and almost no one is going to complain about that. Admissions officers certainly won’t.

When is a 170 LSAT good?

Pretty much always. But will a 170 guarantee you a spot at Yale? Nope. Will a 175? Probably not. Will a 180? Unlikely. LSAT scores are an important part of your application (arguably the most important part), but they are still only one part. A weak GPA, lack of work experience, or unimpressive letters of recommendation can derail any application, even if it’s accompanied by a perfect score.

Think of it this way: over 100,000 people take the LSAT each year. The top 2-3% equals about 3,000 students. The top 10 law schools, collectively, have fewer than 3,000 seats available. Therefore, there isn’t even space for all the people who score above 170 to attend a top ten school.

Now, to be fair, if you score a 170 or higher, you’re probably going to be accepted to a great school regardless of the rest of your application.

When is a 170 LSAT not good?

If you’ve ever visited an online law school forum, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that some people are not impressed with a 170. Granted, law school forum users tend to be an exceptionally intense subset of an already selective group of the population (people taking the LSAT), but they do have some valid reasons for fretting over the difference between a 170 and a 175.

Remember, there aren’t enough seats in the top 10 law schools for all the folks who score over a 170. If you’re one of those people, you want to do everything in your power to make sure you’re not one of the applicants who gets bumped. So, you try to edge out the competition with an extra point of two.

LSAT Scoring and Future Salary

Now that you know how challenging it is to go to a top ten or top fifty law school, you’re probably wondering how your LSAT score (and the law school it enables you to attend) will affect your future career. Does a JD from a prestigious law school guarantee you better job prospects and a higher salary?

Let’s put it this way: if you needed even more of a reason to believe that your LSAT score is a valuable indicator of future success beyond law school life, then I think we found it.

To answer this question using real-world numbers, I pulled average LSAT score data and salary data from U.S. News & World Report. What I found shows that the correlation between a high LSAT score and high starting salary is impressive, especially if you’re looking at the highest ranking law schools.

According to the data in the table below, graduating from a top ten law school will basically guarantee you a job within ten months of graduation, and a starting salary of $160,000 per year, if you work in the private sector. Aside from some outliers, a higher LSAT score and a top-ranked school corresponds with a higher salary upon graduation.

(Hint: If your score is 162 or above, you might consider applying to 29th-ranked Boston College. Their average starting salaries for private sector practice are high—to the tune of $144,818 per year.)

Scores vs. Starting Salaries

Rank	Law School Name	LSAT Score 25th-75th Percentile Range	Graduates Employed in Long-Term, Full-Time Legal Jobs	Median Starting Salary (private sector & public sector)
1 (tie)	Stanford University	170-176	81.5%	Private: $190,000 Public: $70,000
1 (tie)	Yale University	171-178	79.8%	Private: $190,000 Public: $68,563
3	University of Chicago	169-175	93.1%	Private: $190,000 Public: $66,393
4	University of Pennsylvania	167-173	89.7%	Private: $190,000 Public: $65,000
5 (tie)	Duke University	168-171	95.3%	Private: $190,000 Public: $65,000
5 (tie)	Harvard University	170-176	89.2%	Private: $190,000 Public: $60,000
5 (tie)	New York University	169-174	94.5%	Private: $174,740 Public: $55,266
8 (tie)	Columbia University	171-175	95.1%	Private: $186,014 Public: $61,529
8 (tie)	University of Virginia	166-173	95.4%	Private: $190,000 Public: $66,974
10 (tie)	Northwestern University (Pritzker)	166-172	90.9%	Private: $162,630 Public: $63,479
10 (tie)	University of California – Berkeley	167-172	88.6%	Private: $177,909 Public: $62,595
10 (tie)	University of Michigan — Ann Arbor	166-172	93.5%	Private: $170,228 Public: $60,187
13	Cornell University	170-174	90.6%	Private: $181,955 Public: $60,737
14	University of California – Los Angeles	166-172	89.1%	Private: $151,167 Public: $59,608
15	Georgetown University	166-172	87.7%	Private: $168,657 Public: $56,258
16 (tie)	University of Minnesota	N/A	91.1%	Private: $105,178 Public: $57,564
16 (tie)	University of Southern California (Gould)	165-169	89.2%	Private: $151,159 Public: $60,946
16 (tie)	University of Texas – Austin	166-171	87.2%	Private: $140,612 Public: $58,159
16 (tie)	Vanderbilt University	163-170	90.4%	Private: $147,645 Public: $70,755
20 (tie)	University of Georgia	156-169	94.8%	Private: $100,597 Public: $55,466
20 (tie)	Washington University in St. Louis	164-173	92.5%	Private: $80,000 Public: $50,000
22 (tie)	Brigham Young University (Clark)	165-171	78.5%	Private: $120,964 Public: $50,779
22 (tie)	Ohio State University (Moritz)	159-166	83.5%	Private: $102,275 Public: $54,908
22 (tie)	University of Florida (Levin)	162-170	82.9%	Private: $86,913 Public: $47,193
22 (tie)	University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill	162-167	85.2%	Private: $116,278 Public: $57,610
22 (tie)	Wake Forest University	159-166	88.1%	Private: $115,000 Public: $57,376
27 (tie)	Boston University	164-171	84.1%	Private: $165,000 Public: $64,773
27 (tie)	University of Notre Dame	162-170	90%	Private: $100,000 Public: $54,797
29 (tie)	Boston College	162-167	86.8%	Private: $144,818 Public: $57,920
29 (tie)	Fordham University	164-168	88.3%	Private: $163,171 Public: $61,569
29 (tie)	Texas A&M University	158-166	85.5%	Private: $84,984 Public: $64,964
32 (tie)	Arizona State University (O’Connor)	158-168	85.8%	Private: $112,500 Public: $66,000
32 (tie)	George Mason University	158-167	80.1%	Private: $128,423 Public: $67,215
32 (tie)	University of Utah (Quinney)	158-164	92.4%	Private: $96,489 Public: $57,651
35 (tie)	Emory University	161-169	83.7%	Private: $90,000 Public: $59,000
35 (tie)	George Washington University	162-169	83.7%	Private: $142,000 Public: $56,400
35 (tie)	University of Alabama	159-168	87.1%	Private: $190,000 Public: $62,500
35 (tie)	University of California — Irvine	162-168	78.9%	Private: $126,081 Public: $66,404
35 (tie)	University of Iowa	161-165	92.5%	Private: $105,310 Public: $55,135
40 (tie)	University of Kansas	153-160	92.9%	Private: $88,583 Public: $55,679
40 (tie)	University of Wisconsin — Madison	157-167	85.3%	Private: $93,696 Public: $55,084
40 (tie)	Washington and Lee University	159-166	89.8%	Private: $116,990 Public: $54,843
43 (tie)	University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign	162-167	88.4%	Private: $102,456 Public: $61,040
43 (tie)	Villanova University (Widger)	N/A	83.2%	Private: $75,000 Public: $56,160
45 (tie)	Indiana University — Bloomington (Maurer)	158-165	89.7%	Private: $111,951 Public: $52,692
45 (tie)	Pepperdine University (Caruso)	159-166	81.6%	Private: $93,007 Public: $67,547
45 (tie)	SMU (Dedman)	160-165	90.7%	Private: $115,057 Public: $61,148
45 (tie)	William and Mary Law School	160-166	85.3%	Private: $121,579 Public: $56,691
49 (tie)	Baylor University	159-164	88.3%	Private: $94,524 Public: $69,444
49 (tie)	University of Washington	160-166	82.4%	Private: $115,000 Public: $68,713

LSAT Score Takeaways

Your scores are incredibly important to your law school career. On the whole, a strong LSAT score in or above the LSAT scores for the top 100 law schools will help you get into a top-ranked program, which in turn will help you graduate law school with a job and an impressive salary. Oh, and it’s pretty difficult to accurately predict your LSAT score without doing plenty of practice. So, set aside some time, invest in Magoosh LSAT(you can choose between a live cohorted class with an instructor or access to the self-study option by itself), and other LSAT books and resources, and start prepping. This is also the key to to improving your LSAT score if you choose to take it, so trust us, you won’t regret it!

Please let us know if you have any questions, additions, or suggestions by leaving a comment on this post. We’d be thrilled to start a conversation with you. And before you go, here’s some suggested follow-up reading for you:

Free LSAT Practice Tests (with bonus video explanations)
LSAT Study Schedules
LSAT Prep Checklist (with free PDF)

Author

Kristin Fracchia

Dr. Kristin Fracchia has over fifteen years of expertise in college and graduate school admissions and with a variety of standardized tests, including the ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT, with several 99% scores. She had a PhD from the University of California, Irvine, an MA degree from The Catholic University, and BA degrees in Secondary Education and English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. She was the recipient of the 2013 Excellence in Teaching Award and the Chancellor’s Club Fellowship from the University of California, Irvine. She’s worked as a high school teacher and university professor, as an independent college and graduate school admissions counselor, and as an expert tutor for standardized tests, helping hundreds of students gain acceptance into premier national and international institutions. She now develops accessible and effective edtech products for Magoosh. Her free online content and YouTube videos providing test prep and college admissions advice have received over 6 million views in over 125 countries. Kristin is an advocate for improving access to education: you can check out her TEDx talk on the topic. Follow Kristin on LinkedIn!

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24 responses to “LSAT Scores for the Top 100 Law Schools: The LSAT Scores you Need to Reach Your Goals.”

Jeff

November 30, 2016

Thanks I found your article very interesting. This information will help my son decide on which schools are appropriate for him to apply to once he receives his LSAT score. Personally I am a little dismayed that four years of hard work weighs less than one test score. All the information in your article is eye opening. Thanks so much for laying it all out in a straight forward manner.

1. Rita Neumann
  
  December 8, 2016
  
  Hi Jeff,
  
  I’m glad that you found the article helpful! It is quite frustrating that a few hours of exam time outweighs 4 years of academics. I hope that the logic and analysis skills that your son learned in college will give him a leg up when he takes the LSAT, and give him the skills he needs to thrive in law school. Best of luck to him!
  
  1. Amiel
    
    July 18, 2017
    
    Just wanted to say this article was very helpful. Thank you so much. You did a great job !
    
    Just wanted to send appreciation and positive vibes
    
Asha

January 16, 2017

Well researched article.I wish my daughter Manasi Hands reads it.

SMS

May 9, 2017

You claim that “If your LSAT score is 157 or above, you might consider applying to 48th-ranked University of Florida or University of Maryland. For some reason, their average starting salaries are staggeringly high—to the tune of $158,000 per year”, but research on Law school transparency says otherwise. University of Maryland’s private sector median salary is $85,762 (public: $52,365) and University of Florida’s private sector median salary is $79,311 (public: $46,154). Not trying to be mean, I just wanted to know why there is such a discrepancy between the sources?

Sources:
https://www.lstreports.com/schools/florida/sals/
https://www.lstreports.com/schools/maryland/sals/

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  May 10, 2017
  
  That’s a very good question, especially because Law School Transparency is a generally reliable resource.. I’ll check with our editors and see where our data comes from.
  
  1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
    
    June 2, 2017
    
    Hi SMS,
    
    Just letting you know that we’ve fully updated the post, checking our data against Law School Transparency and a number of other websites.
    
Tavaziva

July 15, 2017

This was amazing, would you by any chance write an article on the application process from the point view of a science major. Thanks

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  July 23, 2017
  
  Hi Tavaziva, thanks for reaching out! I’ve let our team know you’re interested in this, but we will have to see if we find an appropriate person to write. I hope we can find one soon! 🙂
  
Priyanshi

June 7, 2018

My lsat 2018 percentile is 45.83 which colleges cam i get

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  June 8, 2018
  
  Hi Priyanshi,
  
  Our expertise is test prep, not admissions advice, so I’m afraid that we can’t provide much more information that what we already wrote in this blog post! A 45th percentile LSAT score is around a 150, correct? There are plenty of schools that have this score within their median range, but you likely will not gain admittance to a top law school with this score. You’ll have to do some research on your own to find your target schools. This website can help you to search for schools that might be within this score range: https://www.ilrg.com/rankings/law/1/asc/LSATLow/. Good luck!
  
Brenda H. Nelson

September 10, 2018

Hi
Has the method of scoring LSAT’s changed since the 70’s? I seem to recall scoring something like 500-600. In 1971 male applicants got into U. Maine Law with scores of 300-400, while I , a woman, was rejected for my “low scores” (according to the dean during my interview). I later learned that I was rejected because I was a woman. None of the 6 or so male lawyers/alumni of U.Maine Law that I knew had scores anywhere near mine. They explained to me, laughing, “Oh that’s just Dean Godfrey. He hates women. Doesn’t want them in his law school.” How many other women did he do that to? When did it stop. Were women later accepted but given a hard time? Sexually harrassed? We do live in a patriarchal culture still. But, I have learned that it is DEFINITELY not worth fighting to get into it. It must be allowed to die by lack of attention. Women have much, much more to contribute than we yet realize. We will create a new world order along with our brothers who value The Feminine in themselves and in others.

So it was not, back then, just about scores, but about your gender.

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  September 14, 2018
  
  Hi Brenda,
  
  Yes, the LSAT score was previously on a scale of 200-800, and I believe that they ended that scoring system in the late 80’s or early 90’s. Thank you for sharing your experience, and I’m sorry to hear about the negative ways that sexism influenced your law school admissions experience. I hope that this has/continues to change for the better…I read that in 2016 and 2017, women outnumbered men in law school. It seems like we are moving in a promising direction, but it’s also important to remember the trails that were blazed by women before us!
  
Jenna

November 2, 2018

Do you think its to soon for me to start studying for the LSAT I’m only a sophomore in high school

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  November 14, 2018
  
  Hi Jenna!
  
  This is a tough one to answer. It really depends! You’re absolutely welcome to start preparing early, but there’s a few things that you’ll want to keep in mind. 🙂
  
  1) You still need to focus on getting into college, so other exams like the SAT or ACT might have more priority.
  2) You’ll also need to focus on your GPA. 😀
  3) Be weary of burning out or losing steam on your LSAT studying! It’s quite possible that starting early might negatively impact you later.
  
  While it’s certainly not “too soon” for you to start studying, those are definitely some things you should think about. 🙂 If you’d really like to start preparing, I’d recommend slowly building a foundation that will help you do well on the LSAT (and in school too!) as opposed to jumping into very specialized LSAT prep. For example, it’s never too early to read things that will develop your reading comprehension (New York Times, Economist, etc.)!
  
asha patel

November 9, 2018

Do you have these schools and data in a downloadable excel spreadsheet? Seems that a pivot table can be created for an easy way to evaluate the schools.

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  November 9, 2018
  
  Hi Asha,
  
  I don’t think that we have this resource in a downloadable file at this time, but I will send a note to our blog writers to see if they have anything they can share 🙂
  
Dominic

February 9, 2019

Thank you Rita, for a very interesting article. As others have said, it was well-researched and written I have some questions/comments:

1.) I am someone who falls into the second category of reads – people who have done a mock LSAT, but not the real one. As such, I am wondering, by how much is it reasonable to expect to improve my score with practice?

2.) The difference between median salaries for private and public sectors is surprisingly large. As such, the proportion of graduates who enter public versus private sector jobs will have a large impact on the overall average salary for graduates. What would convince people to enter the public sector when salaries are so much higher for the private sector? Do people only accept public sector jobs if they can’t find a job in the private sector?

Thanks again for your article.

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  February 14, 2019
  
  Hi Dominic,
  
  This blog post can help you get a sense of how much you can reasonably expect to improve with practice: https://magoosh.com/lsat/2016/how-much-can-i-improve-my-lsat-score/
  
  I’ll also add that the predictive ability of any practice test depends on how authentic you make the testing experience. It’s important to mimic the actual conditions of the LSAT as much as possible, and to know yourself as a test-taker. Test anxiety can have a significant impact on your score during the test, and it’s not always possible to recreate those stressful conditions when you’re comfortable at home! Make sure to prepare yourself mentally for the test by creating a stress management plan 🙂
  
  There is a big difference between salaries in private and public firms. I can speak about some of these motivations based on my experience with family and friends. There are many factors that determine what sort of jobs newly-graduated lawyers seek beyond just salary–they take into account their interest, passion, stress levels, skills, loan repayment options etc. While there aren’t enough spots at top law firms for all graduates, not all graduates are seeking these types of positions, which come with significant stress, long work weeks, and demanding environments. It’s also worth noting that a prospective law school student’s desired career path may influence which school they attend–if a lawyer is interested in working in the public sector, they may choose to attend a less expensive state school that will provide them with the education they need without the large price tag. I even have heard of people working for a few years in the private sector to pay down their loans before switching to the public sector to follow their passions, start a family or have more work-life balance. In short–there are a lot of reasons why someone would choose public service; though salary is definitely a part of the calculation, it’s not the only factor 🙂
  
Eli

March 17, 2020

Hi there. One thing this article didn’t address is how higher scores can impact negotiating for financial aid. I have heard that the difference between a 170 and a 175 can be a substantial chunk of change. So if you’re in the position of having an LSAT score around 170, should you retake with the intent to leverage the better score in negotiations?

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  July 24, 2020
  
  Hi Eli, this is an interesting question, and unfortunately we aren’t experts in law school admissions and bargaining. I would encourage you to reach out to current students and admissions counselors to understand how a higher score might impact financial aid negotiations.
  
Anon

September 19, 2020

I would imagine that Fordham’s staggeringly high 180K private sector salary is due to the fact that everyone who gets biglaw from that school get NYC Biglaw. These firms give out higher salaries even compared to Boston or DC Biglaw.

Usha

May 4, 2021

HI,

That was a nice and informative article. While it addresses many questions/doubts it also raises some. Such as, with a score of 164 and in the 91st percentile which Law School can one look at? Especially having completed 5 years of Law school in one India’s premier Law schools. Can you please share your thoughts?

1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  May 4, 2021
  
  Hi Usha, our expertise is in test prep, not admissions advice, so I’m afraid we aren’t the best people to help with this question. I’d recommend reaching out to some admissions counselors at your target schools, or talking with alumni or professors from your program in India to ask for their advice. Good luck!