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TL;DR: A good LSAT score is one that meets or exceeds the published median for your target law schools, not a universal number on the 120–180 scale. A score in the low 170s clears most schools' medians nationally, while a mid-150s score may be excellent for one school and a reach for another. "Good" only exists relative to where you're applying.

What is a good LSAT score?

A good LSAT score is one that sits at or above the 50th percentile median LSAT score of the law schools you actually plan to apply to. There is no single "good" number on the 120–180 scale. A 165 is exceptional for one applicant's target list and merely average for another's. The only meaningful benchmark is your own target-school list, not a national average.

This is why LSAT prep advice that fixates on a single "target score" for every reader is incomplete. The current LSAT is fully digital, scored on a 120–180 scale, and made up of two scored Logical Reasoning sections plus one Reading Comprehension section — the Logic Games (Analytical Reasoning) section was removed as of August 2024. Every test-taker sits the same three scored sections, so the raw score is comparable across everyone. What differs is what that score is good for.

Three things "good" actually depends on

• Your target school list. A score that clears the median at a regional law school may sit well below the median at a national one. There is no shortcut around looking up each school's numbers individually.
• Your GPA. Admissions committees weigh LSAT and undergraduate GPA together, not in isolation. A strong LSAT can offset a weaker GPA and vice versa, which is why schools publish both figures.
• Scholarship goals. Many law schools award merit scholarships based heavily on where your LSAT score lands relative to their entering class median. A score above a school's 75th percentile carries different scholarship leverage than one at the 25th percentile, even if both would get you admitted.

A good score, in short, is a relative score. Chasing a number without a target list attached to it is chasing the wrong thing.

LSAT score percentiles (table)

LSAT percentiles rank your score against the pool of everyone who took the test over a rolling multi-year period, and they shift slightly year to year as the test-taking population changes. According to LSAC, percentile tables are recalculated periodically to reflect the current testing population, so the exact percentile attached to any given score can move by a point or two from year to year.

The table below shows the general score bands test-takers and admissions offices commonly use to describe LSAT performance. Exact percentile figures change with each LSAC update, so treat the percentile column as approximate and always check LSAC's current official percentile chart before relying on a specific number.

• LSAT Score Range: 175–180 | Approximate Percentile: [[VERIFY: percentile for 175-180]] | Common Description: Elite scorer
• LSAT Score Range: 170–174 | Approximate Percentile: [[VERIFY: percentile for 170-174]] | Common Description: Highly competitive
• LSAT Score Range: 165–169 | Approximate Percentile: [[VERIFY: percentile for 165-169]] | Common Description: Competitive
• LSAT Score Range: 160–164 | Approximate Percentile: [[VERIFY: percentile for 160-164]] | Common Description: Above average
• LSAT Score Range: 155–159 | Approximate Percentile: [[VERIFY: percentile for 155-159]] | Common Description: Average
• LSAT Score Range: 150–154 | Approximate Percentile: [[VERIFY: percentile for 150-154]] | Common Description: Below average
• LSAT Score Range: 145–149 | Approximate Percentile: [[VERIFY: percentile for 145-149]] | Common Description: Well below average
• LSAT Score Range: 120–144 | Approximate Percentile: [[VERIFY: percentile for 120-144]] | Common Description: Bottom tier

A score in the 170s consistently ranks in the top slice of test-takers nationally, regardless of which specific percentile figure LSAC publishes in a given year. That's why scores in this range clear the median at nearly every U.S. law school, including the most selective ones. A score in the 150s, by contrast, is close to the middle of the national test-taking pool — good enough for admission at many schools, but below the median at most highly ranked ones.

One nuance worth understanding: because the national pool of LSAT test-takers has gotten more competitive over the past decade, a raw score that would have been comfortably above-median a few years ago may now sit closer to the middle. This is a real, documented shift in the test-taking population, which is another reason to check current percentile data rather than relying on the score bands a friend or older sibling used to describe their own results.

What LSAT score do you need for your target schools?

You need an LSAT score at or above the 50th percentile figure a school publishes in its ABA Standard 509 Disclosure to be squarely competitive there, and above its 75th percentile to strengthen your scholarship leverage. Every ABA-accredited law school publishes its 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile LSAT scores annually, and that document — not a forum post or a friend's anecdote — is the correct source to benchmark against.

Here is how to actually use that data instead of guessing:

1. Build your target list first. Identify the specific law schools you're considering before worrying about a target score — a target score without a target list is meaningless.
2. Pull each school's current ABA 509 Report. These are public, standardized, and updated annually; they show the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile LSAT and GPA for the most recent entering class.
3. Locate where your score falls. A score below a school's 25th percentile means you're relying more heavily on the rest of your application. A score above its 75th percentile means your LSAT is a strength that could support a scholarship request.
4. Read your GPA against the same report. LSAT and GPA are considered together, so a strong score paired with a below-median GPA (or the reverse) changes how a file reads, compared to a file where both numbers land in the same range.
5. Re-run this process for every school on your list, because medians vary meaningfully even between schools in the same general tier.

This benchmarking approach tells you where you stand relative to a school's published numbers. It does not, and cannot, tell you your odds of admission — LSAT and GPA are only part of a holistic review that also weighs your personal statement, letters of recommendation, work experience, and other factors admissions committees don't publish in percentile form.

• Factor: School's 25th percentile LSAT | Why It Matters: Falling below this line usually means you're a reach applicant there | Where to Find It: ABA Standard 509 Report
• Factor: School's 50th percentile LSAT | Why It Matters: This is the median score of the school's most recently admitted class | Where to Find It: ABA Standard 509 Report
• Factor: School's 75th percentile LSAT | Why It Matters: Scoring above this can strengthen merit scholarship conversations | Where to Find It: ABA Standard 509 Report
• Factor: Your GPA relative to the school's median | Why It Matters: LSAT and GPA are read together, not separately | Where to Find It: LSAC's UGPA-calculated transcript + school's 509 report

How Lovare approaches LSAT score goal-setting: Lovare doesn't hand every applicant the same target number. Advisors work from your actual school list and its published 509 data to set a realistic score range, then connect that goal to LSAT prep, application strategy, and — since Lovare covers the full journey from LSAT through 1L tools and into recruiting through its partnership with Legal Mentor Network — the parts of the process that come after you hit that number. If you're building your own target list and application timeline, see Lovare's law school admissions guide for the full process.

FAQ

Is a 165 LSAT score good?A 165 is a strong score by national standards and clears the median at many well-regarded law schools. Whether it's "good enough" depends entirely on your specific target list — it may sit above the median at some schools and below it at others. Always check the individual school's ABA 509 Report rather than relying on a general label.

What is the average LSAT score?[[VERIFY: current average/mean LSAT score]] The average shifts slightly each testing year based on who sits for the exam, so check LSAC's most recent published data rather than a fixed figure from an older source.

Can a good LSAT score guarantee admission to law school?No. A strong LSAT score is one input into a holistic admissions review that also weighs GPA, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and work experience. No score, however high, guarantees admission anywhere, and no ethical advisor will tell you otherwise.

How many times can I retake the LSAT?LSAC caps how many times you can sit for the LSAT within a testing year, within a five-year period, and over your lifetime. [[VERIFY: current LSAC retake limits]] Check LSAC's current official policy before registering for a retake, since these limits are periodically updated.

Should I retake the LSAT if my score is below my target schools' median?Retaking makes sense if your practice test scores suggest meaningful room for improvement and your current score sits notably below your target schools' 25th percentile. It makes less sense if your score already clears most of your target list's medians, since diminishing returns and testing fatigue become real factors.

Does a higher LSAT score always mean a better law school outcome?Not automatically. A higher score widens your options and can improve scholarship leverage, but the rest of your application — GPA, essays, recommendations — still has to hold up. Two applicants with the same LSAT score can have very different outcomes based on the strength of the rest of their file.