In the competitive world of law school admissions, a strong score on the LSAT can boost your chances — especially at top programs.
The Law School Admission Test assesses whether a candidate is prepared for a demanding legal education and has four sections: three multiple choice — reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning — and an unscored writing test that is shared with the law schools to which you apply.
Test-takers receive scores ranging from 120 to 180, with scores in the high 160s being above the median among admitted students at most ranked law schools in the U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings. But some selective and highly ranked programs enroll students who typically have a score of 170 or higher.
An applicant’s LSAT score is important, but it’s not the only factor in an admissions decision. Law schools typically consider multiple application components when comparing candidates, including academic transcripts, resumes, GPAs, personal statements and diversity statements, so it’s possible to be admitted with a comparatively low LSAT score.
J.D. hopefuls can also distinguish themselves through unique work experiences, extracurricular activities and admissions interviews.
[Read: What Is a Good LSAT Score?]
Many law schools accept results from the Graduate Record Examination General Test in place of the LSAT. A list of those schools is on the Educational Testing Service website. Some law schools accept other tests or are test-optional, and there is some effort to remove the LSAT as an admissions requirement altogether.
According to data collected by U.S. News for 195 ranked law schools, the median LSAT score for incoming full-time and part-time students in fall 2024 was 158. However, prospective students hoping to gain admission to the most competitive law schools 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 172.5.
Here is a list of the 14 ranked law schools with the highest median LSAT scores among incoming students in fall 2024. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.
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Don’t see your school on this list? See the complete U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings here. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
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14 Law Schools With the Highest LSAT Scores originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/30/25: This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information, including data from the new U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings.
