See where your LSAT score ranks
The LSAT is scored on a fixed scale from 120 to 180, and what matters for admissions is not just the number but the percentile — the share of test-takers you outscored. This tool converts any LSAT score into its approximate national percentile rank and shows how it compares against the median scores reported by top law school tiers.
How it works
LSAC publishes percentile bands for each scaled score based on a rolling multi-year pool of test-takers. This calculator uses a lookup table that mirrors those published bands. When your score falls between table points, it interpolates linearly between the nearest anchors to estimate the percentile.
score 180 ≈ 99.9th percentile
score 170 ≈ 97th percentile
score 160 ≈ 80th percentile
score 152 ≈ 50th percentile (median)
score 145 ≈ 26th percentile
score 120 ≈ 0th percentileTips and notes
Percentiles compress hard near the top of the scale — moving from 170 to 175 is a much larger jump in rank than it looks, because so few test-takers reach that range. Treat the tier medians as targets: a score at or above a school’s 75th-percentile median dramatically improves both your admission odds and your scholarship leverage. These figures track LSAC’s published bands but update yearly, so confirm against the current official report for application decisions.
Understanding score compression at the top
The LSAT’s 120–180 scale is not linear in percentile terms. Moving from a 145 to a 150 might add 15 or more percentile points, while moving from 175 to 180 adds fewer than one. This is a natural property of any normally distributed test: the population thins out near the extremes, so each additional correct answer is worth more percentile rank as you approach the ceiling. Practically, this means incremental study time has its highest marginal return when your score is already strong — going from 168 to 172 is hard, but it separates you from a very large share of the applicant pool targeting elite schools.
The LSAT vs. GPA tradeoff
Law schools publish both a 25th–75th percentile LSAT range and the same range for undergraduate GPA. Both enter into the US News rankings formula, which gives law schools a strong incentive to admit applicants who raise the median of either or both. An applicant significantly below the LSAT median for a target school typically needs a GPA well above the median to compensate — and even then, the LSAT tends to carry more weight because it is standardized. The reverse is also true: a high LSAT can offset a GPA that is below the school’s typical range.
Score stability and multiple takes
LSAC reports all LSAT scores from the past five years to law schools. Most schools now consider only the highest score, following the change in LSAC policy in 2019, but a small number of schools still average scores or take the most recent. Before taking the test a second or third time, check each target school’s policy and weigh how likely you are to improve meaningfully versus the risk of a lower score becoming part of your record.
Percentile as strategy, not identity
It is tempting to equate a percentile with your worth as an applicant. In practice, admissions are holistic: a 160 from a first-generation college student with a compelling personal statement and meaningful work experience competes differently than the same score from a student with no distinguishing factors. The percentile is your entry ticket to the conversation; the rest of your application determines whether the conversation ends in admission.
What to do with this information
Use the percentile output here to calibrate your target list:
- Identify schools where your score falls above their median — these are likely schools
- Identify schools where your score matches their 25th percentile — these are realistic reaches with strong other materials
- For any school well above your current score, the percentile gap tells you how much improvement is needed to become a realistic applicant