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Harvard Law School's median undergraduate GPA sits near the top of the 4.0 scale, currently each school's median GPA (see its 509 report). Admitted students typically pair that GPA with a high LSAT, since Harvard weighs both numbers together. A GPA slightly below the median can still compete with an exceptional LSAT.
By Ali Unar, JD candidate at Georgetown Law and founder of Lovare Institut. Last updated August 2026. Figures on this page were verified in August 2026 or point readers to the current source.
Harvard Law School reports a median undergraduate GPA near the top of the 4.0 scale, published each cycle in its ABA Standard 509 Information Report. The current figure shifts year to year; see the linked U.S. News ranking for the current No. 1, with a 25th to 75th percentile band of see the linked source (see the linked source). That median reflects enrolled students, not everyone who applied.
Harvard Law draws far more high-GPA applicants than it has seats, so its medians rise toward the ceiling of the grading scale. Because U.S. News rankings weight median GPA and LSAT, top schools have strong incentives to protect both numbers. The result is that a near-perfect GPA is common, though not strictly required, among admitted students.
Harvard evaluates GPA and LSAT as a pair, and applicants at or above both medians are the strongest candidates. The table shows the two numbers side by side as reported to the ABA.
The current ranking is best read directly from the source. See the U.S. News Best Law Schools list for the up-to-date order, and each school's ABA Standard 509 report for its median LSAT, GPA, and acceptance rate.
A GPA under Harvard's median is not disqualifying, but it raises the weight on the rest of your file. An LSAT at or above the school's 75th percentile is the most effective counterweight, and a concise GPA addendum can explain a genuine anomaly such as illness or a clear upward trend. Splitters, meaning applicants with a high LSAT and a lower GPA, are admitted every cycle.
A pass/fail grade usually does not change your GPA, because a Pass carries no grade points to average in. It still appears on your transcript, and for law school LSAC applies its own conversion rules, so heavy pass/fail use in core courses can prompt questions even when your GPA is unaffected.
LSAC recalculates your undergraduate GPA through the Credential Assembly Service, converting all graded coursework onto one standard 4.0 scale. It includes failed and repeated courses regardless of your college's grade-replacement policy, so your LSAC GPA can differ from your registrar's. That recalculated figure is what Harvard and other schools compare to their medians.
There is no universal minimum, but competitiveness is set by each school's published medians. At Harvard Law you generally want a GPA at or above its median, which sits near the top of the 4.0 scale, while many other ABA schools admit strong applicants with mid-3.0 GPAs paired with solid LSAT scores.
Verified August 2026.
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026