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The LSAT scores that get applicants into top law schools cluster near the top of the 120 to 180 scale, with the T14 reporting the highest medians. As of the 2026 cycle, the 25th to 75th percentile LSAT band across the T14 spans about 166 to 177, based on the 2025 ABA Standard 509 reports. Landing above a school's 75th percentile makes your LSAT a clear asset.
By Ali Unar, JD candidate at Georgetown Law and founder of Lovare Institut. Last updated August 2026. Every figure on this page was verified in August 2026 against the sources listed below.
The LSAT scores that get applicants into top law schools cluster near the top of the 120 to 180 scale, with the T14 posting the highest medians in the country. Landing above a school's 75th percentile makes your LSAT a clear strength, while sitting below its 25th percentile makes admission unlikely without an exceptional file. As of the latest cycle, the T14 25th to 75th percentile band spans about 166 to 177, based on the 2025 ABA Standard 509 reports.
The table lists the top law schools with their 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile LSAT, the band that defines competitiveness at each one.
Law school25th percentile LSATMedian LSAT75th percentile LSATYale Law School171174177Columbia Law School169173175UC Berkeley School of Law167170172
Each figure is drawn from the school's most recent ABA Standard 509 Information Report.
Most top law schools weigh the LSAT heavily because it is standardized across all applicants, though a strong GPA still matters. Applicants above both the LSAT and GPA medians are the most competitive, while splitters, high on one number and low on the other, see mixed results. Read the LSAT band together with each school's GPA medians.
Use each school's LSAT band to sort top schools into reach, target, and likely tiers based on where your score falls. A score above a school's 75th percentile makes it a target rather than a reach, especially with a solid GPA. Lovare's free admissions calculator maps your LSAT and GPA to each top school's medians.
Top law schools want LSAT scores near the top of the 120 to 180 scale, with the T14 reporting the highest 25th to 75th percentile bands, roughly 166 to 177 across the T14, based on the 2025 ABA Standard 509 reports. A score above a given school's 75th percentile is a clear asset, while one below its 25th percentile makes admission unlikely without a standout file.
Your chances at a top law school depend heavily on how your LSAT and GPA compare to its high medians. Applicants above both the median LSAT and median GPA are the most competitive; those below both are rarely admitted. Compare your two numbers to each school's ABA 509 medians to estimate your odds realistically.
Most applicants apply to roughly 6 to 12 law schools, split across reach, target, and safety tiers based on how their LSAT and GPA compare to each school's medians. When targeting top schools, treat several as reaches and balance them with targets and safeties where your numbers clearly clear the medians.
Verified August 2026.
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026