As one of the most critical factors in the law school admissions process, your Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score plays a pivotal role in determining your chances of securing a spot in law school.
The LSAT score range is 120-180. But what exactly is considered a "good" LSAT score? How does it influence your prospects of acceptance into top law schools? Can you still get into law schools with an average or below-average score?
In this blog post, we'll explain the LSAT score range and shed light on what makes an LSAT score competitive and explore the factors you should consider when evaluating your results.
Whether you're a prospective law student or someone seeking to understand the intricacies of LSAT scoring, this guide will equip you with the necessary insights on LSAT scores.
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(click to skip ahead)Types of LSAT scores
When discussing LSAT score ranges, it's crucial to understand the distinction between two key terms: raw score and scaled score. These terms represent different aspects of your performance on the LSAT and your competitiveness for law school admissions.
Raw Score
Your raw score on the LSAT is a straightforward measure of how well you performed on the test. It's calculated by summing up the total number of questions you got right across all sections of the exam.
The LSAT consists of several sections, including logical reasoning, analytical reasoning (also known as logic games), reading comprehension, and an experimental section that doesn't contribute to your final score.
The total number of questions in each section may vary; thus, the raw score can range from 0 to the maximum number of questions in the test.
It’s also important to note that, unlike other standardized tests, the LSAT does not penalize you for incorrect answers. So, making an educated guess, rather than leaving a question unanswered, is always beneficial.
Scaled Score
While the raw score reflects your performance on the LSAT, the scaled score holds greater significance in the admissions process. The scaled score is a standardized representation of your raw score, adjusted to the LSAT score range from 120 to 180.
Why does the LSAT scale your score?
The LSAT consists of several sections, each with a varying number of questions. These sections are designed to be challenging. However, the difficulty of each test administered may vary slightly.
The LSAT scales your score to ensure fairness and consistency across different tests. The scaling process aims to objectively measure your abilities, regardless of the specific test version or its difficulty level.
How does LSAT scoring work?
The process of scaling involves equating each LSAT to a reference group. This reference group consists of test takers who have previously taken the LSAT, and their performance serves as a benchmark.
The scaling process considers factors such as the difficulty of individual questions and sections, ensuring that the scaled scores accurately reflect a test taker's relative performance compared to others.
How do you convert raw score to scaled score on LSAT?
LSAT raw score to scaled score conversion tables are not publicly available, as the specific conversion formulas and tables used by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to calculate scaled scores are proprietary information.
Although LSAT prep materials may provide conversion charts for practice tests, the conversion from a raw score to a scaled score is not a simple one-to-one ratio. As a result, two test-takers with the same raw score may have different scaled scores depending on when they took the LSAT and that particular test's difficulty level.
Highest LSAT score
The highest LSAT score possible is 180. However, given the complexity and time constraints of the exam, achieving a perfect score on the LSAT is rare.
Only a tiny fraction of test takers are able to achieve this top score, and they are considered exceptionally skilled and well-prepared for the exam.
Good LSAT score
Although it's unlikely you'll score 180 on the LSAT, you can still achieve a good or high LSAT score with effort and preparation. But what is considered a "good" LSAT score?
Generally, a good LSAT score is one that places you in a competitive position among other applicants. Therefore, determining what constitutes a good LSAT score depends on several factors, including the competitiveness of the law schools you are targeting and your overall application profile.
Top-tier law schools often have higher LSAT score expectations (see below for detail), with median scores typically ranging from the mid-160s to the mid-170s. For these highly competitive law schools, a good LSAT score aligns with or exceeds their median score range.
Thus, it's essential to research the specific law schools you are interested in and review their admissions statistics to better understand their average LSAT scores and the score ranges of admitted students. This research can help you set realistic goals and determine what score range you should aim for to be competitive for your dream law schools.
Here are some median LSAT scores and percentile ranges for Ivy League and other highly respected law schools for the class of 2025:
Yale Law School
· Median LSAT Score: 175
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 171-178
· Yale Law School Student Profile
Harvard Law School
· Median LSAT Score: 174
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 170-176
· Harvard Law School Student Profile
Stanford Law School
· Median LSAT Score: 173
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: Approximately 170-176
· Stanford Law School Student Profile
Columbia Law School
· Median LSAT Score: 173
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 171-175
· Columbia Law School Student Profile
University of Chicago Law School
· Median LSAT Score: 173
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 169-175
· University of Chicago Law School Student Profile
New York University (NYU) Law School
· Median LSAT Score: 172
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 169-174
· NYU Law School Student Profile
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Law School
· Median LSAT Range: 172
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 167-173
· UPenn Law School Student Profile
University of Virginia Law School
· Median LSAT Range: 171
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 166-173
· University of Virginia Law School Student Profile
University of Michigan Law School
· Median LSAT Range: 171
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 166-172
· University of Michigan Law School Student Profile
Duke University Law School
· Median LSAT Range: 170
· 25th-75th Percentile Range: 168-171
Average LSAT score
The average LSAT score can fluctuate slightly from year to year. However, according to the LSAC, the majority of test takers have scored between 150-159 during the last five years.
While we're sure you're not aiming for an average LSAT score, you might have questions about how an average or below-average score can affect your chances for admission. Here are a few common questions and answers that pertain to average LSAT scores.
How important is the LSAT?
Your LSAT scores are generally considered the most important factor in your law school applications. Admissions officers use your LSAT score to gauge your likelihood of success at their school, seeing them as a standardized measure of applicants' logical reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical abilities. Because of that, your LSAT score usually accounts for over half of your admissions decision.
An average score may affect your chances of admission, particularly to competitive law schools. However, it's important to note that law schools consider other factors for admission, such as your undergraduate GPA, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular involvement.
You can find all the requirements for law school applications by reading this article.
Can I still get into law school with an average or below-average LSAT score?
While an average or below-average LSAT score may present challenges, it doesn't necessarily exclude you from admission. Law schools consider applications holistically, evaluating a range of factors beyond just the LSAT score.
For example, law school applicants with lower scores can still compensate through strong academic records, compelling personal statements, unique professional experiences, and exceptional letters of recommendation. It may also be beneficial to highlight any growth or improvement in subsequent LSAT attempts.
Some law schools also have more flexible admission criteria or offer conditional admission programs that take into account additional factors. These programs often require applicants to meet specific conditions, such as completing additional coursework, participating in summer programs, or achieving certain academic milestones during their law school journey.
Can an above-average LSAT score guarantee admission to top law schools?
While an above-average LSAT score is impressive, it does not guarantee you'll get into a top law school. Top-ranking law schools have highly competitive applicant pools, and they also consider the overall fit of an applicant with the law school's values, mission, and educational environment.
LSAT score percentiles
In addition to your raw and scaled LSAT score, your LSAT score report will also show your LSAT score percentile. Understanding LSAT score percentiles is essential to gauging your performance relative to other applicants and evaluate your competitiveness in the admissions process.
LSAT score percentiles represent the percentage of test takers who received a lower score than you. For example, if your LSAT score is in the 80th percentile, it means you scored higher than approximately 80% of test takers.
Admissions officers consider both the scaled score and the percentile rank when evaluating your performance on the LSAT.
Final thoughts
Understanding LSAT scores and their significance is crucial for aspiring law school applicants. However, it's important to remember that while LSAT scores play a significant role, they are not the sole determinant of admission.
Your LSAT score is just one factor that showcases your potential as a law school candidate. It's also important to focus on presenting a solid application that highlights your strengths to maximize your chances of admission to law school.
If you're looking for additional resources to help you with your application, we recommend speaking with our graduate school admissions consultants. We can help you craft a strong personal statement and navigate the law school application process.
So, why wait? Schedule a consultation and begin taking the next step in your law school journey!
Ameer is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about college admissions and career development. Prior to freelancing, Ameer worked for three years as a college admissions consultant at a Hong Kong-based education center, helping local high school students prepare and apply for top colleges and universities in the US. He has a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from UCLA. When he’s not working, Ameer loves traveling, weight lifting, writing, reading, and learning foreign languages. He currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
Top values: Growth / Diversity / Empathy
