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LSAT-optional law schools let you apply without an LSAT score, usually by accepting the GRE or JD-Next instead rather than dropping standardized testing entirely. As of the current cycle, about 196 ABA-approved law schools offer this flexibility. Below is what LSAT-optional really means and which schools qualify.
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-optional means a law school will consider your application without an LSAT score, typically because it accepts the GRE or JD-Next in the LSAT's place. It rarely means the school ignores standardized testing altogether. In practice, an LSAT-optional school still wants evidence of readiness, usually a GRE score read against its class medians. about 196 ABA-approved law schools.
LSAT-optional schools span the rankings, from national programs that accept the GRE to regional schools using JD-Next or waivers. The table lists them with the alternative each accepts.
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.
No. LSAT-optional usually means the LSAT is not required but another test, most often the GRE, still is. Test-optional, a term more common in undergraduate admissions, implies you can apply with no standardized score at all, which is rare in ABA law admissions. Read each school's wording carefully, because the two phrases lead to very different requirements. see the linked source (see the linked source).
If a school is LSAT-optional and you have a strong LSAT score, submitting it can still help, especially where scholarships track LSAT percentiles. If your GRE is stronger or your LSAT sits below the school's median, leaning on the GRE may serve you better. Compare your percentile on each test against the school's medians before deciding. your target schools' published 25th-50th-75th percentile figures.
Most LSAT-optional law schools are LSAT-optional precisely because they accept the GRE, so the GRE roster and the LSAT-optional list overlap heavily. ETS maintains the current GRE list, which reaches top-ranked and regional schools. Confirm each school's policy for your cycle. about 128 U.S. law schools, including every T14 school.
Yes, at LSAT-optional schools, though optional usually means you submit the GRE or JD-Next instead rather than no test at all. A small number of waivers allow a genuinely test-light path. Read each school's wording so you know whether a substitute score is expected. see the linked source (see the linked source).
Neither is easier by default, and at an LSAT-optional school the practical question is which score presents you best. The GRE tests math and vocabulary; the LSAT tests logic and reading. Submit whichever percentile is stronger relative to the school's medians. the LSAC percentile tables (for example a 150 is about the 37th percentile, 160 the 71st, 165 the 85th, and 170 the 94th).
Verified August 2026.
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026