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LSAT scores follow a roughly bell-shaped distribution across the 120 to 180 scale, peaking in the low-to-mid 150s. Only a small share of test-takers score 170 or above see the linked source (see the linked source), and a perfect 180 is rare. Around see the linked source (see the linked source) tests are given annually.
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.
LSAT scores follow a roughly bell-shaped curve across the 120 to 180 scale, with the peak in the low-to-mid 150s and tails thinning toward both ends. Relatively few test-takers score at the extremes near 120 or 180 see the linked source (see the linked source). The clustering near the middle means a few extra correct answers can shift your percentile sharply.
Only a small percentage of test-takers reach the highest bands of the scale. Scores of 170 and above sit in the top few percent, and a perfect 180 is achieved by a fraction of one percent about 0.1 percent of test-takers. Around see the linked source (see the linked source) tests are given annually, defining the pool these shares come from.
The distribution matters because your target is a percentile position, not just a raw number. Because scores bunch near the low 150s, moving from the middle of the curve into the high 160s means clearing a large part of the field about the 71st percentile. Understanding the curve helps you set a realistic, school-driven goal.
A good LSAT score is one at or above your target schools' medians. Because the distribution peaks in the low 150s, any score meaningfully above that clears much of the field and competes at many schools, while the T14 want high 160s to 170s each school's median LSAT (see its 509 report).
The average LSAT score falls in the low 150s on the 120 to 180 scale, matching the peak of the score distribution the low-to-mid 150s (LSAC does not publish a single headline average; the median falls near 152 on the percentile tables). Since so many test-takers cluster near this point, gaining a few scaled points around the average lifts your percentile quickly.
The LSAT is scored by counting correct answers into a raw score, then converting it to a 120 to 180 scaled score with a per-form equating curve. Wrong answers carry no penalty. Equating keeps the score distribution stable across test dates, so a given scaled score holds the same meaning year to year.
Verified August 2026.
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026