What is a Good LSAT Score? Law School Percentiles Guide

If you're embarking on the journey to law school, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is likely the single most important number on your application. But with scores ranging from 120 to 180, what exactly counts as a good LSAT score?

The answer depends on your goals, the caliber of law schools you are targeting, and how your score compares to the applicant pool. This article breaks down LSAT score ranges, average performance, and elite targets.

What is a Good LSAT Score?

While any score above the average is technically "good," law school admissions are highly competitive. We can divide scores into several performance bands:

• Elite (170 - 180): This is the top 2-3% of all test-takers. An elite score is generally required for admission into the Top 14 (T14) law schools, such as Yale, Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia. It also makes you eligible for substantial merit-based scholarships.
• Very High (165 - 169): Placing you in the top 10% of test-takers, this is an excellent score that makes you highly competitive at top-50 law schools and offers a strong chance of scholarship money at regional schools.
• Good/Above Average (160 - 164): Placing you in the top 20%, a score in the low 160s is considered solid and opens the doors to many reputable law programs.
• Average/Normal (150 - 159): This is the middle tier. While it will grant you admission to many schools, it might limit your chances at top-tier institutions unless paired with an exceptional undergraduate GPA.

LSAT Score Ranges and Percentiles

The LSAT is scored on a curve. Your percentile rank tells you what percentage of test-takers scored lower than you. According to official LSAC Score Percentile Reports, percentiles help you see the actual value of your score relative to the testing cohort:

What is the Average LSAT Score?

The national median or average LSAT score typically hovers around 151 to 152. Scoring a 151 means you performed exactly in the middle of the testing cohort. A score in the 150s is considered a normal LSAT score range, with the vast majority of all test-takers scoring between 140 and 160.

Admissions statistics shared in the lawschooladmissions community indicate that Ivy League and Top 14 (T14) schools rarely accept candidates with scores below 170. As user t14_hopeful shares: "If your LSAT score is below a T14 school's median, you are relying entirely on a near-perfect GPA and outstanding soft factors to get an acceptance."

What Was Barack Obama's LSAT Score?

Many aspiring lawyers are curious about the test performances of highly successful public figures. One of the most frequent historical questions is: What was Barack Obama's LSAT score?

Barack Obama took the LSAT in the late 1980s. At that time, the test did not use the modern 120-180 scale. Instead, the LSAT was scored on a scale of 10 to 48. Barack Obama reportedly scored a 48 on his exam, which was a perfect score!

When converted to the modern scale, a perfect score on the historical scale translates to a 180, though many historical comparisons equate his score to a 171 or higher (the 98th percentile). This exceptional score secured his admission to Harvard Law School, where he later became the president of the Harvard Law Review.