LSAT Score Percentile Calculator

LSAC moved to the 120 to 180 scaled-score format in June 1991 and has held it stable ever since. The 61-point range is wide enough to spread the bell curve out clearly (the mean lands near 152, so most takers cluster between 145 and 162), but narrow enough that a single scaled-score point still maps to a meaningful percentile shift. The scale predates LSAC's current item-response-theory equating, but the equating process makes each scaled point comparable across test forms, so a 165 in 2025 means the same thing it meant in 1995.

LSAC publishes the percentile concordance as a three-year rolling mean rather than a single-cycle snapshot because the LSAT taker pool shifts year to year. A single cycle can be skewed by pandemic disruptions, application surges, or LSAT-Flex-style format changes. Averaging over three cycles smooths those bumps so the published percentile reflects a stable comparison group. The tradeoff is that the current-cycle percentile for any one score can drift by one or two points compared to the published table, especially in the middle of the scale where the curve is steepest.

Argumentative Writing replaced the older LSAT Writing sample in July 2024. Test takers complete it remotely on their own schedule using LSAC's secure browser. The prompt presents two positions on a contested issue and asks the writer to defend a chosen side using the supplied evidence. Trained graders score the response on a five-band rubric (band 1 lowest, band 5 highest) covering argument quality, evidence use, organization and language control. The writing band does not roll into the 120 to 180 scaled score. LSAC will not release a score report to schools until at least one writing sample is on file.

Most ABA-accredited law schools compute an internal index that weights the LSAT score and undergraduate GPA into a single number, typically using a formula provided by LSAC. The exact weights vary by school, but in practice the LSAT carries 60 to 70 percent of the index at most programs because it normalizes across undergraduate institutions and majors. The index is not the only factor: personal statement, letters of recommendation, work experience, soft factors and diversity considerations all play a role. But for borderline files, a one-point LSAT swing usually moves the index more than a 0.05 GPA swing.

Yes, at a growing share of ABA-accredited law schools. As of the 2024 admissions cycle, the ABA permits any accredited school to accept the GRE in place of the LSAT, and well over half of US law schools have opted in, including all of the T14. Most schools that accept both still admit the bulk of their class on LSAT scores. The GRE is most useful for applicants with strong quant backgrounds (STEM majors, finance, engineering) who want to leverage existing test results. If a candidate's LSAT score is below the school's published median, switching to a GRE only helps when the GRE concords to a meaningfully higher percentile.