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Only a tiny fraction of LSAT test-takers earn a perfect 180, on the order of a fraction of one percent see the linked source (see the linked source). With around see the linked source (see the linked source) tests taken annually, a 180 places you at the very top of the 120 to 180 scale.
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.
A perfect 180 is earned by only a sliver of test-takers, on the order of a fraction of one percent each year about 0.1 percent of test-takers. Against a pool of see the linked source (see the linked source) tests, that share translates to a small absolute count of perfect scores nationwide.
The share reaching 180 shifts modestly from year to year with test-taker volume and the mix of forms, but it always stays near the floor of the percentile scale see the linked source (see the linked source). Because equating holds the scale steady, 180 remains the fixed ceiling and never becomes easier to reach in a given cycle.
The practical takeaway is that you do not need a 180 for any law school, including the T14. Target-school medians sit below the ceiling, so a high 160s or 170s score already competes at the top each school's median LSAT (see its 509 report). Chase your schools' medians and treat any points beyond them as scholarship leverage.
A good LSAT score is one at or above your target schools' medians, all of which fall short of a perfect 180. Above the low-150s national average is competitive for many programs, while the T14 want high 160s to 170s each school's median LSAT (see its 509 report). A 180 is never required.
The average LSAT score is in the low 150s on the 120 to 180 scale the low-to-mid 150s (LSAC does not publish a single headline average; the median falls near 152 on the percentile tables). The distance between this average and a 180 shows how exceptional a perfect score is, since the vast majority of test-takers cluster near the middle of the scale.
The LSAT is scored by converting your raw number of correct answers into a scaled score from 120 to 180 through a per-form equating curve, with no penalty for wrong answers. Reaching a 180 requires a perfect or nearly perfect raw score, which is why so few test-takers hit the top of the scale.
Verified August 2026.
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026