LSAT scores are required for admission to most of the law schools in the USA. The LSAT score range is 120-180. 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 maximum LSAT score. While the average LSAT score in 2022 was 159, admissions to top universities were offered at higher scores. Now if we look at the LSAT score range for top law schools, we can see, all of them have a 170+ median score and it is actually very difficult to achieve. These universities are also those who have very low acceptance rates.
Suggested Read | LSAT Test Dates 2023 – Deadlines, Score Release Dates
Let’s now look at the top law schools in the USA.
Before we start looking into the LSAT score, median scores, or percentile, we need to check the list of top law schools in the USA.
US News has ranked the law schools in following manner;
| Rank | Name of university |
| 1 | Stanford University |
| 1 | Yale University |
| 3 | University of Chicago |
| 4 | University of Pennsylvania (Carey) |
| 5 | Duke University |
| 5 | Harvard University |
| 5 | New York University |
| 8 | Columbia University |
| 8 | University of Virginia |
| 10 | Northwestern University (Pritzker) |
| 10 | University of California, Berkeley |
| 10 | University of Michigan–Ann Arbor |
LSAT Score Reports
The LSAT scores are released as per the schedule given by the Law School Admission Council. Students have the option to preview their LSAT score before the council reports it to the law schools. This option however is subject to payment of some cost. The LSAT score report mentions the following details.
- Current LSAT score
- Results of all reportable tests
- Percentile rank
- Score band
Here are the LSAT score range for top Law schools in USA
LSAT Score Range for Top Law Schools
| School | Median LSAT Score | 25th-75th Percentile | Median GPA |
| Yale University | 175 | 171-178 | 3.94 |
| Harvard University | 174 | 170-176 | 3.92 |
| Columbia University | 173 | 171-175 | 3.87 |
| Stanford University | 173 | 170-176 | 3.92 |
| University of Chicago | 173 | 169-175 | 3.91 |
| Cornell University | 172 | 170-174 | 3.87 |
| University of Pennsylvania (Carey) | 172 | 167-173 | 3.9 |
| New York University | 172 | 169-174 | 3.88 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 172 | 164-173 | 3.94 |
| University of Virginia | 171 | 166-173 | 3.94 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 171 | 166-172 | 3.9 |
| Northwestern University (Pritzker) | 171 | 166-172 | 3.89 |
| Georgetown University | 171 | 166-172 | 3.87 |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | 171 | 166-172 | 3.83 |
| Duke University | 170 | 168-171 | 3.85 |
| University of California, Berkeley | 170 | 167-172 | 3.83 |
| Boston University | 170 | 164-171 | 3.84 |
| University of Texas, Austin | 170 | 166-171 | 3.84 |
| Vanderbilt University | 170 | 163-170 | 3.9 |
| University of Florida (Levin) | 169 | 162-170 | 3.9 |
| University of Southern California (Gould) | 168 | 165-169 | 3.87 |
| University of Georgia | 168 | 156-169 | 3.87 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 166 | 162-167 | 3.77 |
LSAT Score for Top Law Schools – Summary
- All these law schools have a very low acceptance rate indicating high competition and limited seats.
- The median score for all college put together was 159 last year, the median LSAT score for top universities is 172
- When it comes to Law school admission, Yale University tops the list with a median score of 175.
- Harvard University, Stanford Law School, University of Chicago and Columbia Law Schools are closely following Yale University.
- There are many Law schools in the USA that accept GRE instead of LSAT score. Some of the universities are also considering adopting a test optional approach or dropping the LSAT score requirement altogether.
