GPA Requirements for Law School
Law schools report GPA from the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which calculates a uniform GPA across all institutions. Your CAS GPA may differ slightly from your transcript GPA. Below are 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile GPAs for selected schools by tier.
How to read this table: The 25th percentile means 25% of enrolled students had a GPA at or below that number. The median is the midpoint. Aim to be at or above the median for your target schools. Being below the 25th percentile GPA is a significant disadvantage without an exceptional LSAT.
T14 Schools
| School | GPA 25th | GPA Median | GPA 75th | LSAT Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Law School | 3.82 | 3.93 | 3.98 | 174 |
| Harvard Law School | 3.84 | 3.92 | 3.97 | 174 |
| Stanford Law School | 3.82 | 3.92 | 3.97 | 174 |
| Columbia Law School | 3.78 | 3.89 | 3.96 | 174 |
| UChicago Law | 3.73 | 3.87 | 3.96 | 173 |
| NYU School of Law | 3.75 | 3.86 | 3.95 | 173 |
| Penn Carey Law | 3.72 | 3.85 | 3.94 | 172 |
| University of Michigan Law | 3.69 | 3.82 | 3.92 | 171 |
| UVA School of Law | 3.67 | 3.81 | 3.92 | 170 |
| Duke University School of Law | 3.66 | 3.80 | 3.92 | 170 |
| Northwestern Pritzker | 3.64 | 3.78 | 3.91 | 170 |
| Cornell Law School | 3.63 | 3.78 | 3.90 | 168 |
| Georgetown Law | 3.60 | 3.76 | 3.90 | 167 |
| UCLA School of Law | 3.59 | 3.75 | 3.89 | 167 |
T25 Schools
| School | GPA 25th | GPA Median | GPA 75th | LSAT Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt Law | 3.52 | 3.69 | 3.84 | 165 |
| Washington University | 3.50 | 3.67 | 3.83 | 164 |
| USC Gould | 3.50 | 3.68 | 3.83 | 165 |
T50 Schools
| School | GPA 25th | GPA Median | GPA 75th | LSAT Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | 3.41 | 3.59 | 3.77 | 162 |
| University of Iowa | 3.33 | 3.54 | 3.73 | 160 |
| Arizona State | 3.28 | 3.50 | 3.70 | 158 |
Regional Schools
| School | GPA 25th | GPA Median | GPA 75th | LSAT Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple Beasley | 3.15 | 3.38 | 3.62 | 154 |
| Loyola Chicago | 3.10 | 3.35 | 3.60 | 153 |
What If Your GPA Is Below Target?
- Write a GPA addendum. If your GPA was impacted by a specific event (illness, family emergency, difficult transition semester), explain it concisely. Do not make excuses without context.
- Aim higher on the LSAT. A 170+ LSAT with a 3.3 GPA can still get you into T25 schools. The two numbers balance each other in admissions models.
- Consider a post-baccalaureate program. Some applicants take additional courses after graduation to demonstrate academic improvement, though results vary by school.
- Apply to well-matched schools. Target schools where your numbers are at or above the 50th percentile and use schools where you exceed the 75th percentile as scholarship leverage.
GPA data based on ABA 509 disclosures and LSAC publications. Figures are approximate and change year to year. Always check the specific school's most recent 509 disclosure. Updated 27 March 2026.