Applying and getting accepted to law school is a numbers game. Many stats and numbers figure into the law school equation: your undergraduate GPA, your LSAT score, where your LSAT score percentile falls compared to the median for your prospective schools, tuition vs. financial aid packages, and the potential starting salary awaiting you after graduation.
Of all these numbers, the one that carries the most weight and ultimately determines most of the rest is your LSAT score. So, what is a good LSAT score? Getting an average LSAT score of 170+ puts you in the 170 LSAT percentile—the 96th percentile of all test takers. That’s not just good—that’s really good. A score in that range can pave the way for your law school journey and future legal career.
Let’s look at five ways a 170 LSAT score can make a difference in your law school admissions journey and even after law school.
The Benefits of Scoring in the 170 LSAT Percentiles
1. Greater Chance of Admission to Top Law Schools
If you’ve lived through the SAT, you already know how much one test score can impact college admissions. The same is true—if not more so—for law school.
LSAT score and undergraduate GPA are the two most important factors in law school admissions. The higher those numbers, the better your chances of admission will be.
Fortunately, an LSAT score of 170 pretty much guarantees you’re getting into law school. Once you break into those 170 LSAT percentiles, you’ve outscored 96% of all other LSAT test takers. Additionally, with a 170+ LSAT score, you won’t just get into any law school—you have the potential to be admitted to a top law school. A 170+ LSAT score places you in the median score range of the top 14 law schools in the country.
The top 14 (or T14) law schools are the best law schools (as ranked by U.S. News & World Report). This list includes schools like Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, Columbia Law School, and NYU School of Law. These schools offer some of the best faculty, resources, and career placement opportunities.
U.S. News evaluates the T14 law schools primarily by considering the undergraduate GPAs and LSAT scores of their incoming students. Therefore, admissions committees have a very strong incentive to admit students who will help maintain or even boost their medians. The median LSAT score of a school represents the midpoint in the range of scores achieved by its incoming class. Being at or above a law school’s median LSAT score definitely improves your admissions chances for that institution. A score of 170 puts you well above the median at most law schools and is competitive for many T14 law schools.
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2. Balances a Lower GPA
After your LSAT score, your undergrad GPA is the second most important number admissions committees scrutinize. A ratio of 60% LSAT / 40% GPA is the estimated weight they carry in the admissions decision.
Eventually, you will have more control over your LSAT score than your GPA. At a certain point in your undergrad career, your GPA will be pretty much set. For most students, this could be by the spring of junior year, when most undergrads start the law school application process. Putting all your energy into your LSAT prep to target a 170 LSAT score can balance out a lower GPA in your law school application.
Keith Barry, Blueprint Prep LSAT Tutor and Law School Admissions Consultant, draws from his personal experience to explain it this way: “Compared to your GPA, which is very hard to dramatically change, the LSAT is in your hands. I dedicated two years of intense study to reach a 180. I was driven by the knowledge that getting that one score would radically change my future prospects.”
Further Reading
3. Strengthens Application Weaknesses
While the numbers carry the most weight, other elements comprise a law school application, including your resume (work or internship experience), the strength of your law school personal statement, and your letters of recommendation. Your entire application is meant to position you as a well-rounded, standout candidate. But, what if you don’t have any relevant work experience, or writing is not your strength? If there are weak spots in your application, a 170 LSAT score can offset them.
Why does this one test score carry more weight than any professional experience, four years of academic work, or what any letter of recommendation says about you? From the perspective of the Law School Admissions Council (that’s LSAC, to you), it’s the best indicator of how well you can handle the rigors of law school and its reasoning-based curriculum. Since it’s a test designed unlike anything undergrads have encountered before, it demonstrates your ability for exceptional reasoning, not just rote memorization. While you could argue that one test score can’t definitively demonstrate this, it is the perspective most admissions committees take as they’re reviewing and considering applicants. Essentially, your LSAT score could make or break your law school application.
4. Increases Scholarship and Financial Aid Opportunities
Scoring in the 170 LSAT percentile not only boosts your admissions odds, but also increases your chances of receiving significant merit-based scholarships. Many law schools offer full or partial tuition scholarships to students who exceed their LSAT median. In fact, many full-tuition awards are most commonly given based on merit (rather than need), which includes academic and LSAT performance.
Much of the merit-based aid schools offer goes to applicants who can raise the score bar for the incoming class. So, having a 170 LSAT score can potentially greatly reduce the cost of your law school tuition and keep you out of debt. With the average cost of law school hovering around $217,480, reducing as much of it as you can will significantly help you as you start your career.
Beyond tuition, there are other financial considerations for law school. For example, summer internships and summer legal jobs are an important part of the law school experience, but most are not paid. T14 schools typically offer larger summer funding packages, better fellowship opportunities, and more robust loan forgiveness programs—especially important if you plan to work in public interest law rather than pursuing the more lucrative Big Law path.
5. Increases Earnings Potential and Rate of Employment
Let’s talk salary. Does a 170+ LSAT score directly guarantee higher income? Not exactly—but the connections are clear. Employment and starting salary upon graduation do trend upward with LSAT score and chosen school.
Let’s connect the score-to-salary dots. We’ve underscored how breaking into the 170 LSAT percentile can catapult you into the echelon of T14 law schools. These schools have long-standing relationships with Big Law firms, with most of their associates coming from those schools. A first-year associate at a Big Law firm has an average starting salary of $220,000, give or take a few thousand based on hiring trends and the economy.
Since a 170+ LSAT score increases your odds of being admitted to a T14 school, it can also place you into the pipeline of on-campus interviews and early interview programs that feed directly into the major private sector law firms with the highest starting salaries in the country.
Even if Big Law isn’t your career goal, attending a T14 school greatly enhances your job prospects and salary potential. Graduates of the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania, two law schools with LSAT median scores of 170+, can expect a median private salary of $190,000.
Final Thoughts
Scoring in the 170 LSAT percentile can be a game changer. It opens doors to top law schools, helps compensate for GPA or other application weaknesses, unlocks scholarships, and improves your long-term job and salary prospects.
It’s the one number you can control that can determine the path of your law school journey and possibly the course of your entire legal career. Put in the time, effort, and prep to reach for it. Your future self will thank you.
Ready to reach your LSAT score potential? The Blueprint LSAT 170+ Course was designed to help you reach your goal score. Our comprehensive program includes personalized study plans, interactive live classes taught by LSAT experts, engaging video modules, drills, and customizable quizzes.
Have different score goals? Whether you have the discipline to study on your own with a Self-Paced Course, want to navigate the LSAT with instructors in a Live Course, or prefer one-on-one attention through tutoring, we have the study method that fits your learning style.
FAQs
Q: What does scoring in the 170 LSAT percentile mean?
A: Scoring in the 170 LSAT percentile means you’ve achieved a minimum 170 LSAT score and scored higher than 96% of all test takers. It’s a strong signal to law schools that you have exceptional analytical reasoning and reading comprehension skills, which are critical for success in law school.
Q: Is 170 a good LSAT score?
A: Yes, a 170 LSAT score is considered an excellent score. It places you in the top percentage of all test takers and makes you a highly competitive candidate at many of the nation’s top law schools. It also increases your chances of receiving scholarships and financial aid.
Q: Can a 170 LSAT score offset a low GPA?
A: Often, yes. Since LSAT scores are usually weighted more heavily than GPA in the admissions process, a 170 LSAT score can help balance a GPA below your target school’s median. It’s also the cherry on top of a good law school application, potentially catapulting it up the Accepted pile.
Q: What law schools accept students with a 170 LSAT score?
A: A 170 LSAT score is competitive at nearly all U.S. law schools, including the top law schools. Schools like Duke University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Boston University list 170 as their median LSAT score. At schools with slightly lower medians, a 170 can make you an extremely strong applicant and increase your odds of admission and receiving merit-based aid.
Q: How can I improve my chances of scoring in the 170 LSAT percentile?
A: Achieving a 170+ LSAT score requires a dedicated study plan, regular practice tests, and thorough review. Many students benefit from a structured LSAT prep course or tutoring to help them navigate the LSAT challenges and stay motivated through test day. The Blueprint LSAT 170+ Course was specifically designed for students targeting a minimum 170 LSAT score, and includes everything you need to reach your goal score.
