The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.
It’s not the only piece of a law school application that matters, but a solid LSAT score can help boost an aspiring J.D. student’s chances of admission to a top program.
U.S. News data show that, in general, the higher a full-time program’s 2019 Best Law Schools rank, the higher the median LSAT score for newly enrolled students.
[Get insight into how law schools view LSAT scores.]
The LSAT is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council. It’s made up of five sections of multiple-choice questions focused on reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning. Test-takers also submit a writing sample that isn’t scored but is sent to the law schools they apply to, according to the LSAC website.
While some law schools have started accepting GRE scores in lieu of LSAT scores — including the No. 3-ranked Harvard Law School — most institutions still require applicants to take the LSAT.
The LSAT is scored on a scale from 120 to 180. In fall 2017, incoming full-time students at the 185 ranked law schools that submitted these data to U.S. News in an annual survey earned an average median score of 156.
The dozen law schools with the most competitive median LSAT scores boasted a much higher average: nearly 170. These schools are some of the highest ranked in the country — most of them placed among the top 10.
[Learn how to factor LSAT changes into your testing strategy.]
Meanwhile, the Appalachian School of Law in Virginia reported the lowest median score among ranked programs: 143.
Below are the 12 schools, including ties, with the highest median LSAT score for full-time students who started in fall 2017. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.
| School (name) (state) | Median LSAT score for full-time students entering in fall 2017 | U.S. News law school rank |
| Harvard University (MA) | 173 | 3 |
| Yale University (CT) | 173 | 1 |
| Columbia University (NY) | 171 | 5 |
| Stanford University (CA) | 171 | 2 |
| University of Chicago | 170 | 4 |
| Duke University (NC) | 169 | 11 (tie) |
| New York University | 169 | 6 |
| University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | 169 | 8 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 169 | 7 |
| University of Virginia | 169 | 9 (tie) |
| Northwestern University (Pritzker) (IL) | 168 | 11 (tie) |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 168 | 18 |
Don’t see your school in the top 12? Access the U.S. News Law School Compass to find LSAT scores, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
U.S. News surveyed 204 schools for our 2017 survey of law programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Law Schools rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The LSAT data above are correct as of March 27, 2018.
More from U.S. News
An Overview of the Law School Application
3 Ways the LSAT Prepares Students for Law School
Understand the Cost, Payoff of Law School Before Getting a J.D.
12 Law Schools Where Students Had the Highest LSAT Scores originally appeared on usnews.com
