Average LSAT Score, LSAT Percentiles, & Law School Acceptance Rates 2023
September 25, 2023
If you’re considering law school after your undergraduate degree, you will need to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). This 4-hour exam with approximately 100 questions plays a major role in which law schools can qualify for, in particular, your LSAT score percentile, basically, where your score ranks in comparison to other test-takers. Here is some key information about the LSATs and which schools are most likely to accept you in 2023 with each LSAT score percentile. We’ll also include law school acceptance rates and average LSAT scores for the top 100 institutions.
How does scoring work?
First, you have your raw score. This is the number of correct responses across the four sections of the LSAT.
Then, based on results from all test-takers, LSAT graders decide how these raw scores correspond with scaled scores, which range from 120-180. A number of factors go into this, including the difficulty of the questions in a given year.
Lastly, your scaled score translates to a percentile score, which is essentially how many test takers scored lower than you (averaged over several years). For example, if you scored in the 90th percentile, that means that 90% of other LSAT test takers scored lower than you over the past 3-years.
Why does my LSAT score matter?
A high LSAT percentile score will help you get into a high-tiered law school, which affects your chances of getting recruited into a competitive law firm after graduation. A score over 165 might also help you land merit scholarships, which can be essential when many law schools cost close to $50,000 per year in tuition. That said, there are many law schools that accept test scores from all ranges, so it’s important to keep in mind other factors besides rank. For instance, the location of a program and the type of law it specializes in can be significant factors for landing the right job later on.
Below, you’ll find information on a few great law schools in different LSAT percentile ranges. Scroll further for a longer list of law schools in the United States and the approximate LSAT percentiles of their entering students.
Keep in mind that while LSAT score matters, attending certain feeder schools can also provide a boost when it comes to getting into top law schools. Additionally, check out these pre-law summer programs if you’re in high school and thinking about pursuing law.
175 LSAT Percentile: 99%
Yale University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 175
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile):171-178
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.94
- Acceptance Rate: 5.7%
Harvard Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 174
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 170-176
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.92
- Acceptance Rate: 10.1%
Stanford University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 173
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 170-176
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.94
- Acceptance Rate: 6.9%
LSAT Percentiles (Continued)
University of Chicago Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 173
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 169-175
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.91
- Acceptance Rate: 14.2%
Columbia University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 173
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 171-175
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.87
- Acceptance Rate: 11.9%
170 LSAT Percentile: 98%
Duke University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 170
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 168-171
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.85
- Acceptance Rate: 10.7%
University of California, Berkeley Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 170
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 167-172
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.83
- Acceptance Rate: 12.5%
University of Texas, Austin Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 170
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 166-171
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.84
- Acceptance Rate: 14.6%
LSAT Percentiles (Continued)
Vanderbilt University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 170
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 163-170
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.9
- Acceptance Rate: 14.5%
Boston University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 170
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 164-171
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.84
- Acceptance Rate: 16.3%
165 LSAT Percentile: 93%
Wake Forest University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 165
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 159-166
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.72
- Acceptance Rate: 33%
University of Wisconsin, Madison Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 165
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 157-167
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.73
- Acceptance Rate: 35.2%
William & Mary Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 165
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 160-166
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.75
- Acceptance Rate: 46%
LSAT Percentiles (Continued)
Florida State University
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 165
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 159-166
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.83
- Acceptance Rate: 19.6%
University of California, Davis Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 165
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 163-166
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.7
- Acceptance Rate: 25.2%
160 LSAT Percentile: 82%
University of Tennessee, Knoxville Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 160
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 156-162
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.76
- Acceptance Rate: 33.2%
Florida International University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 160
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 156-162
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.72
- Acceptance Rate: 22.6%
University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 160
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 157-163
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.59
- Acceptance Rate: 29%
LSAT Percentiles (Continued)
Georgia State University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 160
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 157-162
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.61
- Acceptance Rate: 28.4%
University of Connecticut Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 160
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 156-162
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.64
- Acceptance Rate: 28%
155 LSAT Percentile: 66%
Marquette University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 155
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 153-168
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.63
- Acceptance Rate: 41%
Duquesne University (Kline) Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 155
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 153-158
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.5
- Acceptance Rate: 56.3%
Indiana University, Indianapolis (McKinney) Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 155
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 151-158
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.58
- Acceptance Rate: 64.9%
LSAT Percentiles (Continued)
Drake University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 154
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 151-157
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.55
- Acceptance Rate: 71.3%
University of Montana (Blewett) Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 154
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 151-158
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.43
- Acceptance Rate: 66.1%
150 LSAT Percentile: 50%
Northern Illinois University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 150
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 147-152
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.42
- Acceptance Rate: 52.1%
Mississippi College Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 150
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 146-154
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.38
- Acceptance Rate: 61.9%
Ohio Northern University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 148
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 146-151
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.42
- Acceptance Rate: 59.4%
LSAT Percentiles (Continued)
Oklahoma City University Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 148
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 146-152
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.43
- Acceptance Rate: 61.9%
Widener University, Pennsylvania (Commonwealth) Law School
- Median LSAT Score of Entering Students: 148
- LSAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 146-152
- Median Undergraduate GPA: 3.3
- Acceptance Rate: 60.2%
Here is a chart based on the law schools ranked in Top 100 lists for 2023 including the law school acceptance rates. Note that they are not in order of rank, but of median LSAT Score and associated LSAT Percentile (these percentiles are approximate). It’s also important to note that rank isn’t everything. Especially if you’re interested in particular areas of law (for instance, International Law or Environmental Law), it is worth searching for schools with strong programs in these particular areas.
LSAT Percentiles for Law Schools Ranked in Top 100 + Law School Acceptance Rates
| Law School | Median LSAT Score of Entering Students in 2023 | Approximate LSAT Percentile of Median Score | Law School Acceptance Rate |
| 1: Yale University Law School | 175 | 99.5% | 5.7% |
| 2: Harvard University Law School | 174 | 99% | 10.1% |
| 3: Stanford University Law School | 173 | 99% | 6.9% |
| 4: University of Chicago Law School | 173 | 99% | 14.2% |
| 5: Columbia University Law School | 173 | 99% | 11.9% |
| 6: University of Pennsylvania (Carey) Law School | 172 | 98% | 9.7% |
| 7: New York University Law School | 172 | 98% | 15.7% |
| 8: Cornell University Law School | 172 | 98% | 17.4% |
| 9: Washington University in St. Louis Law School | 172 | 98% | 18% |
| 10: University of Virginia Law School | 171 | 98% | 12.9% |
| 11: Northwestern University (Pritzker) Law School | 171 | 98% | 15% |
| 12: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Law School Law School | 171 | 98% | 13.5% |
| 13: University of California, Los Angeles Law School | 171 | 98% | 15.5% |
| 14: Georgetown University Law School | 171 | 98% | 17.6% |
| 15: Duke University Law School Law School | 170 | 98% | 10.7% |
| 16: University of California, Berkeley Law School | 170 | 98% | 12.5% |
| 17: University of Texas, Austin Law School | 170 | 98% | 14.6% |
| 18: Vanderbilt University Law School | 170 | 98% | 14.5% |
| 19: Boston University Law School | 170 | 98% | 16.3% |
| 20: University of Florida (Levin) Law School Law School | 169 | 98% | 16.9% |
| 21: University of Minnesota Law School | 169 | 98% | 37.2% |
| 22: University of Southern California (Gould) Law School | 168 | 95% | 12.7% |
| 23: University of Georgia Law School | 168 | 95% | 14.8% |
| 24: Brigham Young University (Clark) Law School | 168 | 95% | 31.4% |
| 25: University of Notre Dame Law School | 168 | 95% | 24.6% |
| 26: Emory University Law School | 168 | 95% | 26% |
| 27: George Washington University Law School | 168 | 95% | 25% |
| 28: Fordham University Law School | 167 | 95% | 18.8% |
| 29: Arizona State University (O’Connor) Law School | 167 | 95% | 19.7% |
| 30: University of California, Irvine Law School | 167 | 95% | 19.5% |
| 31: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Law School | 166 | 94% | 14.6% |
| 32: Boston College Law School | 166 | 94% | 10.2% |
| 33: George Mason University (Scalia) Law School | 166 | 94% | 19.6% |
| 34: University of Alabama Law School | 166 | 94% | 25.8% |
| 35: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Law School | 166 | 94% | 34.7% |
| 36: Wake Forest University Law School | 165 | 93% | 33% |
| 37: University of Wisconsin, Madison Law School | 165 | 93% | 35.2% |
| 38: William & Mary College Law School | 165 | 93% | 46% |
| 39: Florida State University Law School | 165 | 93% | 19.6% |
| 40: University of California, Davis Law School | 165 | 93% | 25.2% |
| 41: Ohio State University (Moritz) Law School | 164 | 90% | 37.1% |
| 42: Texas A&M University Law School | 164 | 90% | 16.3% |
| 43: Washington and Lee University Law School | 164 | 90% | 32.7% |
| 44: Indiana University, Bloomington (Maurer) Law School | 164 | 90% | 43.4% |
| 45: Pepperdine University (Caruso) Law School | 164 | 90% | 27.7% |
| 46: SMU (Dedman) Law School | 164 | 90% | 33.9% |
| 47: University of Washington Law School | 164 | 90% | 30.3% |
| 48: University of Colorado, Boulder Law School | 164 | 90% | 31.2% |
| 49: Yeshiva University (Cardozo) Law School | 164 | 90% | 33.8% |
| 50: University of Utah (Quinney) Law School | 163 | 88% | 31.9% |
| 51: University of Iowa Law School | 163 | 88% | 41.3% |
| 52: Villanova University (Widger) Law School | 163 | 88% | 16.5% |
| 53: Baylor University Law School | 163 | 88% | 23.9% |
| 54: University of Maryland (Carey) Law School | 163 | 88% | 29.5% |
| 55: Temple University (Beasley) Law School | 163 | 88% | 36.5% |
| 56: University of Arizona (Rogers) Law School | 163 | 88% | 24.9% |
| 57: University of Richmond Law School | 163 | 88% | 33.7% |
| 58: Northeastern University Law School | 163 | 88% | 31.1% |
| 59: St. John’s University Law School | 162 | 85% | 39.9% |
| 60: Pennsylvania State University, University Park Law School | 162 | 85% | 30.9% |
| 61: American University (Washington) Law School | 162 | 85% | 33.8% |
| 62: Wayne State University Law School | 161 | 84% | 35.5% |
| 63: Loyola Marymount University Law School | 161 | 84% | 34.4% |
| 64: University of Houston Law Center Law School | 161 | 84% | 32.1% |
| 65: Tulane University Law School | 161 | 84% | 43.3% |
| 66: University of Miami Law School | 161 | 84% | 33.5% |
| 67: University of San Diego Law School | 161 | 84% | 34.5% |
| 68: Lewis & Clark College (Northwestern) Law School | 161 | 84% | 52% |
| 69: Pennsylvania State University Dickinson Law School | 161 | 84% | 36.8% |
| 70: University of Pittsburgh Law School | 161 | 84% | 33.2% |
| 71: University of Tennessee, Knoxville Law School | 160 | 82% | 33.2% |
| 72: Florida International University Law School | 160 | 82% | 22.6% |
| 73: University of California College of the Law, San Francisco | 160 | 82% | 29% |
| 74: Georgia State University Law School | 160 | 82% | 28.4% |
| 75: University of Connecticut Law School | 160 | 82% | 28% |
| 76: University of Missouri Law School | 160 | 82% | 51.4% |
| 77: Case Western Reserve University Law School | 160 | 82% | 39.2% |
| 78: University of Denver (Sturm) Law School | 160 | 82% | 48.5% |
| 79: University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Boyd) Law School | 160 | 82% | 35.4% |
| 80: University of South Carolina Law School | 159 | 79% | 37.6% |
| 81: University of Oklahoma Law School | 159 | 79% | 42.5% |
| 82: Seton Hall University Law School | 159 | 79% | 40.3% |
| 83: Drexel University (Kline) Law School | 159 | 79% | 31% |
| 84: Loyola University Chicago Law School | 159 | 79% | 41.7% |
| 85: Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent Law School | 159 | 79% | 50.5% |
| 86: University of Kansas Law School | 158 | 76% | 55.3% |
| 87: University of Oregon Law School | 158 | 76% | 55.3% |
| 88: Stetson University Law School | 158 | 76% | 31% |
| 89: University of Cincinnati Law School | 158 | 76% | 44.8% |
| 90: University of Nebraska, Lincoln Law School | 158 | 76% | 60.9% |
| 91: University of Kentucky (Rosenberg) Law School | 157 | 74% | 50.1% |
| 92: Texas Tech University Law School | 157 | 74% | 36.8% |
| 93: Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge (Hebert) Law School | 157 | 74% | 52.5% |
| 94: St. Louis University Law School | 156 | 70% | 61.2% |
| 95: University of St. Thomas Law School | 156 | 70% | 65.5% |
| 96: University of Louisville (Brandeis) Law School | 156 | 70% | 54.2% |
| 97: Marquette University Law School | 155 | 66% | 41% |
| 98: Duquesne University (Kline) Law School | 155 | 66% | 56.3% |
| 99: Indiana University, Indianapolis Law School | 155 | 66% | 64.9% |
| 100: Drake University Law School | 154 | 61% | 71.3% |
| 101: University of Montana (Blewett) Law School | 154 | 61% | 66.1% |
| 102: Gonzaga University Law School | 154 | 61% | 61,9% |
| 103: Mercer University (George) Law School | 154 | 61% | 46.1% |
Note: All law school acceptance rates are current as of 9/25/23.
Average LSAT Scores, LSAT Percentiles, Law School Acceptance Rates – Final Thoughts
We hope you found this blog helpful as you gather more information as part of your law school application process. College Transitions will be publishing a good deal of additional law school-related content in the coming months. This will include in-depth looks at law school acceptance rates at top institutions and the top law schools in given states.
