Law School Acceptance Rates: Most Up to Date Statistics

How Competitive Are Law School Acceptance Rates?

The below list of law school acceptance rates and other admissions statistics comes from the latest ABA information reports. It’s important to understand the distinction between acceptance rates and enrollment rates. Just because a school has a 50% acceptance rate does not mean that 50% of applicants actually attend the school. The enrollment rates are usually significantly lower than acceptance rates. Acceptance rates are higher in some schools because schools usually send out acceptances to more students than they can enroll. Why? Because when some students are offered places in these schools, they reject the opportunity and choose to attend a different school. So schools keep sending out acceptances until they enroll enough people for their matriculating class. There may be another simple reason too: some schools are just smaller and less well-known, and therefore have fewer people competing for the available spots.

However, for our purposes, acceptance rates are more important than enrollment rates because acceptance rates represent the number of acceptances sent out. We also include the median GPA and LSAT scores of accepted students. It’s important to note that the median accepted GPA and LSAT scores have increased pretty significantly compared to the previous admissions cycle. Not only is this true for Ivy Leagues and prestigious schools, but also for all law schools in the US. So even though the acceptance rates seem high, the thresholds for GPA and LSAT are consistently increasing.

So if you think law acceptance rates are the only stats you need to know to see if the school is selective, think again! Tyler Chiasson, a JD graduate and our Law admissions expert, knows that the GPA and LSAT score are ultimately what many law schools in the US and Canada will value over any other application component. This is why he used the LSAT as a barometer to assess whether a law school was a good fit for him to apply to:

"I didn’t really look too deeply at acceptance rates, but I did research on what LSAT score was competitive at the different schools. It is the biggest barrier to entry and requires the most time and effort. A low LSAT score will make some schools inaccessible to you. My GPA and LSAT got me most of my acceptances, so I’d say that GPA and LSAT are more important than the written parts of the application." – Tyler Chiasson, JD

The table below summarizes the latest admission statistics data for US law schools.

What GPA and LSAT Score Do You Need to Get Into Law School?

Law school admissions is notoriously competitive, and the above stats reflect this. The median acceptance rate for all law schools in the US sits at 40.8%, which is already a fairly competitive rate. The top 15 law schools in the US, such as the T14 law schools with acceptance rates below 20%, are even more selective. The toughest law school to get into, Yale Law School, has an acceptance rate of just 5.72%. Conversely, even the easiest Ivy League law schools to get into, such as Cornell Law School, Columbia's law program and UPenn Law School have very competitive acceptance rates.

To get accepted to law school, you’ll need an excellent application and good scores. The average accepted LSAT score is 150, but to get into the top law schools, you’ll want to score above 162 out of 180. If you score below 145 on any practice tests, work on improving your score before you take the real exam. Or you can retake the test to submit stronger scores on your law school application. A law school advisor can help guide you in navigating this really difficult law school requirement. They can help you figure out how to study for the LSAT to get a competitive score.

To recall Tyler's story, you will need a relatively high GPA to get accepted to law school as well. You should aim for a GPA of 3.6 or higher to get into the best law schools. Some law schools will accept students with lower GPAs, but realistically, you’ll need a GPA of at least 3.3 to have a fair shot of getting accepted to less selective law schools.

Getting into law school in the US is undeniably challenging, but it is possible. With many excellent law schools to choose from, including some of the most well-known such as Harvard Law School, Stanford Law and Columbia Law School, there are many opportunities for students to get accepted. If you’re concerned about how to get into law school with a low GPA or below average LSAT score, don’t worry. There are ways to compensate for lower statistics and get in, which we will discuss later in this article!

How Important is GPA and LSAT Score in Law School Admissions?

It is important to say that some schools, especially the competitive, prestigious ones, will not likely overlook a very low GPA and LSAT - even if you submit excellent supportive application components. Aaron Schulze, our law admissions expert and JD graduate of the The University of Texas School of Law knows that you have to meet the required GPA and LSAT score if you want to have a good chance of acceptance:

"When I was applying, I was told by multiple sources that an applicant’s ‘numbers’ (GPA and LSAT) were always the most significant factors. Of course, the written parts of the application are important, but they are not weighed the same. While strong scores can make up for weak written materials, strong written materials can rarely make up for weak scores." – Aaron Schulze, JD, University of Texas School of Law

Tyler, whose experience with the LSAT we already mentioned above, echoes this sentiment:

"[A] personal statement may push a student over the finish line to acceptance, but I don’t think it’s given as much importance – I did not do much to personalize my personal statements to each school but got many acceptances anyway." – Tyler Chiasson, JD

So the verdict is out: as hard as it is for us to accept, we have to be realistic about the importance of GPA and LSAT scores in law school admissions. This is certainly not to say that the rest of your application does not matter, not at all! But if you want to compete for spots in some of the best law schools in the US, then you have to use the acceptance rates and admissions info we provide you with above to choose which of the schools you would be a good fit in. Here's how our JD admissions expert Aaron Schulze used the stats:

"I spent a considerable amount of time researching and finding all the metrics (i.e., average GPA, average LSAT, etc.) for the schools I was interested in. Because I was unsure of where I wanted to practice, I wanted to apply to recognized, more notable programs with a reputation both in-state and out-of-state. However, these programs were more competitive. I divided my school list into categories of how likely my acceptance would be based on comparing my numbers with the school’s statistics." – Aaron Schulze, JD

You don't need to look for the stats! They are already present in this article! And once you create your school list where your GPA and LSAT would be accepted, you can plan and organize strategies to increase your chances of acceptance via strong application components. Remember: all of your competitors will also have strong GPA and LSAT scores, so you must show something extra to the admissions committee to secure that spot. How do you do this? Read on to find out!

Here's some tips for those who are trying to get into law school with lower grades:

Don't Have the Required Law School Stats? Here's How to Increase Your Acceptance Chances

As we’ve seen, US law schools’ admissions is extremely selective, and law school admissions committees are looking for the best of the best in applicants. For the best chance at getting into law school, you’ll need a well-rounded application. This means a respectable LSAT score, the highest GPA possible, and a compelling law school personal statement.

Having a good balance of all application components is best, but a weak point in your application can be overcome by a solid whole. Having a really strong application is especially important if you have lower statistics. The written sections of your application will need to be very well constructed. The highest GPA and LSAT scores won’t be enough to get you into the best law school if your written essays and other application components are underwhelming.

Law School Essays

Your law school personal statement will answer the question “why do you want to study law?” and why you’ve chosen to apply to a particular law school. Some applications may include specific law school essay prompts you need to respond to, so review the law school admissions essay topics you’ll be writing on to help you construct a strong essay and brainstorm ideas.

Many students struggle with the written sections of an application, particularly law school essays, and plenty of students hire a grad school essay tutor for this reason. Reading examples can be an excellent way to prepare for this step, too. Try reading some Harvard Law School personal statement examples for inspiration on writing stellar personal statements for law school.

Law School Recommendation Letters

Law school recommendation letters can be another powerful tool on your application. Recommendation letters are important because law schools want to evaluate your character and fitness for the legal field, not just your academic skills. Hearing about your abilities and strengths from others who know you can be a strong asset for your application.

To secure the strongest recommendations possible, choose the best referees, follow instructions from the law school on how many letters to submit and how to submit them, and maintain a good relationship with your recommendation letter writers.

Supplemental Law School Application Components

There are also some important ways you can compensate for lower law school admissions statistics. These are supplementary parts of your application but can be highly effective tools:

Want to learn how Chat GPT can help you with law school admissions?

How to Survive Law School Admissions

The application package is only part of preparing for law school. There are other elements you’ll need to prep for, including optional essays and the law school interview. Your preparation for law school should include a holistic strategy where you can get ready for each aspect of the admissions journey. Below we've included some tips on what to prepare for and how you can do it to give yourself the best chance of getting accepted.

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