Updated November 2026. Percentiles from LSAC (2023 to 2026 testing years). School numbers from 2025 ABA 509 reports.
Quick answer: the LSAT score range is 120 to 180. The LSAT is out of 180, the lowest score is 120, and there are 61 possible scores. The average score is about 152. Half of test takers score 154 or lower, and a 160 beats about 71% of test takers.
Key facts about the LSAT score range
- Lowest score: 120. Highest score: 180. There is no 0 to 100 scale.
- Average score: about 152. Median test taker: about 154.
- Only about 5.5% of test takers score 170 or higher, and about 1.3% score 175 or higher.
- On today’s LSAT, 77 questions count. You need about 52 right for a 160 and about 66 right for a 170.
- Among all 196 ABA law schools, the middle school has a median LSAT of 159. T14 medians run from 170 to 174.
- There is no passing score. Each law school decides what scores it accepts.
This guide explains what each LSAT score range means, how the 120 to 180 scale works, how scores spread out across test takers, and which ranges fit which law schools. Have a score already? Check it in the LSAT score calculator.
LSAT Score Ranges Explained in About a Minute
What each score band means, where most test takers land, and what law schools report.
Read the transcript
What's a normal LSAT score? The LSAT is scored from 120 to 180. That's 61 possible scores. The average is about 152. Here's what each range means. 170 and up is elite. 165 to 169 is outstanding. 160 to 164 is strong. 155 to 159 is competitive. And 150 to 154 is near average. Nearly two out of three test takers score between 145 and 164. Law schools see it differently. The middle ABA law school has a median LSAT of 159. At the T14, medians run from 170 to 174. So compare your score with the schools you want, not just the scale. Want to move up a range? The LSAT Score Planner Bundle gives you a study plan, a score tracker, and 40 drill questions. See where your score lands with the free LSAT score calculator.
LSAT Score Ranges and What They Mean
This table splits the scale into bands. It shows the percentile for each band, the share of test takers who land there, and how many ABA law schools have a median LSAT in that band.
| Score range | Level | Percentile | Test takers in this range | Law schools with a median here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 170 to 180 | Elite | 94.5 to 99.8 | 5.5% | 22 |
| 165 to 169 | Outstanding | 85.2 to 93 | 9.3% | 26 |
| 160 to 164 | Strong | 71.1 to 82.8 | 14.1% | 43 |
| 155 to 159 | Competitive | 54 to 67.9 | 17.1% | 56 |
| 150 to 154 | Near average | 36.6 to 50.4 | 17.4% | 41 |
| 145 to 149 | Below average | 21.5 to 33.2 | 15.1% | 6 |
| 140 to 144 | Low | 11 to 19 | 10.5% | 1 |
| 120 to 139 | Very low | 0 to 9.4 | 11.0% | 1 |
Most law schools have a median LSAT between 150 and 164, and the middle school sits at 159. Only 8 of the 196 ABA schools have a median below 150. See the full LSAT percentile chart for every single score.
What Is the LSAT Out Of?
The LSAT is out of 180. The scale runs from 120 to 180, not 0 to 100. A 180 is a perfect score, and a 120 is the lowest score you can get. You cannot score above 180 or below 120, and LSAC does not report a score as a percent.
A perfect 180 does not mean you got every question right. On most tests you can miss one question and still get a 180. Even a test with very few right answers still gets a 120. See the highest LSAT score and lowest LSAT score guides, or read about a 180 LSAT score.
How Is the LSAT Scored?
The LSAT score is built in three steps:
- Raw score: LSAC counts how many questions you got right. Wrong answers do not take points away, so you should answer every question.
- Scaled score: your raw score is turned into a score from 120 to 180. This step is called equating. It keeps scores fair when one test is a little harder than another. LSAC explains this on its LSAT scoring page.
- Percentile: your scaled score is compared with everyone who tested in the last three testing years.
Only the scored sections count: two Logical Reasoning sections and one Reading Comprehension section. The extra unscored section does not count, and neither does LSAT Writing. Learn more in how the LSAT curve works and what a scaled LSAT score is.
Raw Score Needed for Each LSAT Score Range
Here is about how many questions you need right, out of 77, to land in each range. These are typical values. Each test has its own chart, so the real numbers can move by a point or so.
| Score range | Raw score needed | Questions you can miss |
|---|---|---|
| 170 to 180 | 66 to 77 of 77 | 0 to 11 |
| 165 to 169 | 60 to 65 of 77 | 12 to 17 |
| 160 to 164 | 52 to 59 of 77 | 18 to 25 |
| 155 to 159 | 47 to 51 of 77 | 26 to 30 |
| 150 to 154 | 41 to 46 of 77 | 31 to 36 |
| 145 to 149 | 35 to 40 of 77 | 37 to 42 |
| 140 to 144 | 29 to 34 of 77 | 43 to 48 |
So the gap between ranges is small. Going from the 150s to the 160s takes about 11 more right answers. Try the raw score calculator or see the full raw score conversion chart.
LSAT Score Distribution: How Scores Spread Out
LSAT scores follow a rough bell curve. Most people land in the middle of the scale, and fewer people land at each end. Nearly two out of three test takers score between 145 and 164. The middle band, 150 to 154, holds about 17.4% of test takers on its own.
This table shows the score you need to beat a given share of test takers:
| Percentile | Lowest score that reaches it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | 140 | You beat about 1 in 10 test takers |
| 25th | 147 | You beat about 1 in 4 test takers |
| 50th | 154 | You beat about half test takers |
| 75th | 162 | You beat about 3 in 4 test takers |
| 90th | 168 | You beat about 9 in 10 test takers |
| 95th | 171 | You beat about 19 in 20 test takers |
| 99th | 176 | You beat about 99 in 100 test takers |
The curve is steepest in the middle. A few points there moves you past many people. Going from 150 to 160 moves you past about one in three test takers. At the top, the same few points move you past fewer people, because so few score that high. Read more about the LSAT score distribution and what an LSAT percentile means.
LSAT Score Band on Your Score Report
Your LSAT score report also shows a score band. This is a small range around your score, usually about 3 points each way. For example, a 167 has a band of about 164 to 170. LSAC adds it because any single test is an estimate of your skill, not a perfect measure. See LSAC on score bands.
Law schools use your actual score, not the band. The band is mainly useful for you. It reminds you not to read too much into a one point change. See the full guide to the LSAT score band.
LSAT Score Ranges at Law Schools
Law schools report the middle 50% of their new students’ scores. The 25th percentile is the low end of that range, the median is the middle, and the 75th percentile is the high end. Each school publishes these numbers in its ABA Required Disclosures. Here is the score range at the T14, from 2025 ABA 509 data:
| Law school | 25th | Median | 75th | Median GPA | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Law | 171 | 174 | 177 | 3.96 | 4.1% |
| Harvard Law School | 171 | 174 | 176 | 3.96 | 9.2% |
| University of Chicago Law | 171 | 174 | 176 | 3.97 | 9.7% |
| Stanford Law | 171 | 173 | 176 | 3.96 | 6.1% |
| Columbia Law | 169 | 173 | 175 | 3.92 | 11.8% |
| UVA Law | 168 | 173 | 175 | 3.99 | 10.2% |
| Northwestern Law | 167 | 173 | 175 | 3.96 | 12.3% |
| Cornell Law | 168 | 173 | 175 | 3.92 | 18.2% |
| Penn Carey Law | 167 | 173 | 174 | 3.95 | 8.1% |
| NYU Law | 169 | 172 | 174 | 3.92 | 13.4% |
| Michigan Law | 168 | 171 | 173 | 3.88 | 8.6% |
| Georgetown Law | 166 | 171 | 173 | 3.93 | 15.7% |
| Duke Law | 169 | 171 | 172 | 3.91 | 12.9% |
| Berkeley Law | 167 | 170 | 172 | 3.92 | 14.8% |
The highest median at any ABA school is 175, at WashU Law. Yale, Harvard and Chicago follow at 174. See the full lists for the T14, T20 and top 100.
How Many Law Schools Fit Your Score
This table counts how many of the 196 ABA law schools you reach at each score. It shows how many schools have a 25th percentile, a median or a 75th percentile at or below your score.
| Your LSAT | At or above the 25th | At or above the median | At or above the 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| 145 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 150 | 37 | 14 | 3 |
| 155 | 99 | 65 | 23 |
| 160 | 148 | 112 | 87 |
| 165 | 175 | 153 | 137 |
| 170 | 192 | 179 | 172 |
| 175 | 196 | 196 | 191 |
A 150 is at or above the 25th percentile at 37 schools. A 160 is at or above the median at 112 schools, more than half of all ABA schools. Being above a school’s 75th percentile helps a lot with admission and with merit scholarships. To check every school against your LSAT and GPA, use the law school admissions calculator.
LSAT Score Range and Acceptance Rates
Schools with higher LSAT ranges also accept fewer applicants. This table groups schools by their median LSAT and shows the typical acceptance rate in each group, from 2025 ABA data:
| School median LSAT | Schools | Typical acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|
| 170 to 180 | 22 | 13% |
| 165 to 169 | 26 | 20% |
| 160 to 164 | 43 | 30% |
| 155 to 159 | 56 | 41% |
| 150 to 154 | 40 | 53% |
For every school’s rate, see law school acceptance rates.
What Each LSAT Score Range Gets You
170 to 180: Elite
Only about 5.5% of test takers land here. A score in this range is at or above the median at 179 of 196 schools when it is a 170, and at every school by 175. It also makes you a strong candidate for large scholarships at most schools. Schools with medians here include Georgetown Law (171), NYU Law (172), Columbia Law (173), Michigan Law (171).
165 to 169: Outstanding
You beat at least 85% of test takers. This range is near the median at many top 25 schools and above the median at most others. It is a little short of most T14 medians, which start at 170. Schools with medians here include George Washington Law (168), Fordham Law (168), Boston College Law (168), USC Gould (169).
160 to 164: Strong
A strong score that beats about 71% to 83% of test takers. 43 law schools have a median in this range. Schools with medians here include American University Law (162), Northeastern Law (164), Brooklyn Law (161), Miami Law (164).
155 to 159: Competitive
Above the average test taker. This is the most common range for law school medians, with 56 schools. Schools with medians here include Rutgers Law (158), New York Law School (157), Southwestern Law (157), Suffolk Law (155).
150 to 154: Near Average
Close to the average test taker. 41 schools have a median here, and a few more points can bring scholarship money at many of them. Schools with medians here include New England Law Boston (153), St. Mary’s Law (153), UIC Law (John Marshall) (153), Pace (Haub) Law (154).
Below 150
Only 8 of the 196 ABA schools have a median below 150. If your score is in this range, a retake is often worth it, especially if your practice tests were higher. Read should I retake the LSAT and LSAT retake statistics.
LSAT Score Range and GPA Together
Law schools look at your LSAT and your undergrad GPA together. Most schools weigh the LSAT a little more, because every applicant takes the same test. A strong LSAT can make up for a lower GPA more easily than the other way around.
Schools report a GPA range too, from the 25th to the 75th percentile. The best spot is above both medians. If you are above one median and below the other, you are a “splitter.” Splitters can still get in, but results are harder to predict. Use the LSAC GPA calculator to find your GPA the way law schools see it.
Here is an example from the admissions calculator: with a 160 LSAT and a 3.5 GPA, about 57 schools come out as likely, 50 as target, 42 as reach and 47 as long shot. Raise the LSAT to 165 and keep the same GPA, and the number of likely schools goes up a lot. That is why moving up one score range can change your whole school list.
LSAT Score Range and Scholarships
Many law schools give merit scholarships to students who raise their LSAT and GPA medians. So the higher your score sits in a school’s range, the better your odds of money there.
- Below the 25th percentile: admission is harder, and money is rare.
- Between the 25th and the median: you can get in, but large awards are less common.
- At or above the median: you have a fair shot at some money.
- At or above the 75th percentile: you are the kind of student schools compete for, and big awards are more likely.
Award amounts differ a lot by school, so always compare offers. Try the law school scholarship calculator and read about retaking the LSAT for scholarships.
How to Move Up an LSAT Score Range
Moving up one range usually means getting about 5 to 8 more questions right. Here is where those points tend to come from:
- Find your weak question types. Most people lose points in a few types, not everywhere. Track every miss in a wrong answer journal and look for patterns.
- Blind review every practice test. Before you check answers, redo the questions you were unsure about with no time limit. The gap between your timed and untimed scores shows what is a timing problem and what is a skill problem.
- Drill one type at a time. Spend a week on your worst type, then retest it under time.
- Take full timed tests. Take one every week or two to build stamina and to check your progress.
- Guess on every question. Wrong answers cost nothing, so never leave a blank.
See the LSAT study schedule guide for how long this usually takes from your current score.
Has the LSAT Score Range Always Been 120 to 180?
No. The LSAT has used three scales over time. It was scored from 200 to 800 until 1982, then from 10 to 48. The current 120 to 180 scale started in June 1991 and has not changed since. You can read a short history of the test on Wikipedia.
The test itself has changed more recently. In August 2024, LSAC removed the Logic Games section. The test now has two scored Logical Reasoning sections and one scored Reading Comprehension section, with 77 scored questions in total. The score range stayed the same at 120 to 180. LSAC has also announced more format changes starting in August 2027. See the new LSAT format.
How Long an LSAT Score Stays in Range for Law Schools
LSAC reports your scores from the current testing year and the five testing years before it. After that, a score is no longer reportable. If you test now, your score will stay usable for about five to six years, depending on when you take it. See how long LSAT scores are valid.
How to Find the Right Score Range for You
- List your target schools. Pick 8 to 12 schools you would really attend.
- Look up each school’s range. Note its 25th, median and 75th LSAT. Every ABA school has its own page on this site, such as Yale or Fordham.
- Set your goal at the median or higher. Aim for the median at your reach schools and the 75th at schools where you want money. The LSAT score goal calculator can do this for you.
- Find your current range. Take a timed practice test and enter it in the LSAT score calculator.
- Plan the gap. Count how many more questions you need right, then plan your study around your weakest question types. The LSAT Score Planner Bundle has a score tracker and mistake log for this.
LSAT Score Range FAQ
What is the LSAT score range?
The LSAT score range is 120 to 180. A 120 is the lowest score and a 180 is a perfect score. There are 61 possible scores.
What is the LSAT scored out of?
The LSAT is scored out of 180. It is not scored as a percent or out of 100.
What is a perfect LSAT score?
A perfect LSAT score is 180. On most tests you can miss about one question and still get a 180. Only about 0.2% of test takers score 180.
What is the average LSAT score?
The average LSAT score is about 152. The median test taker scores about 154. See the average LSAT score guide.
What is a good LSAT score?
It depends on your schools. A 160 beats about 71% of test takers and is at or above the median at 112 ABA schools. A 170 beats about 94% and fits nearly every school. See what is a good LSAT score.
Is there a passing score on the LSAT?
No. You cannot pass or fail the LSAT. Each law school decides which scores it accepts. See is there a passing LSAT score.
What percent of test takers score 170 or higher?
About 5.5% of test takers score 170 or higher, based on LSAC percentiles for the 2023 to 2026 testing years.
What LSAT score is the 90th percentile?
A 168 is about the 90th percentile. A 162 is about the 75th, and a 147 is about the 25th.
What is the lowest LSAT score?
The lowest LSAT score is 120. Even a test with very few right answers is reported as a 120.
Why does the LSAT start at 120?
That is simply where the scale begins. LSAC has used the 120 to 180 scale since June 1991. Before that, the LSAT used a 10 to 48 scale and, earlier, a 200 to 800 scale.
Is the LSAT curved?
Not in the usual sense. Your score does not depend on how other people did on your test date. Each test is equated, so a given scaled score means the same skill level on every test. That is why the raw score needed for a 160 can shift by a question or two from test to test.
Did the score range change when Logic Games were removed?
No. The LSAT is still scored from 120 to 180 after the August 2024 change. Only the sections changed.
Sources
Percentiles come from LSAC data for the 2023 to 2026 testing years. School numbers come from each school’s 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, shown on its page on this site. Raw score conversions are typical values, and each test has its own chart. See LSAC on LSAT scoring and the ABA Required Disclosures.
More Individual LSAT Score Guides
Use these score-specific guides to compare percentile range, school fit, scholarship leverage, and retake strategy.
- LSAT score 146
- LSAT score 147
- LSAT score 149
- LSAT score 151
- LSAT score 154
- LSAT score 159
- LSAT score 174
- LSAT score 176
- LSAT score 177
Full LSAT Topic Library
For the complete set of score, admissions, school, study, and LSAT Writing guides, use the LSAT resource library.