Understanding What's a Good LSAT Score: Your Complete Guide

When considering law school, one question dominates: what’s a good LSAT score? The answer is more nuanced than a single number, and understanding the full picture—from score ranges to what universities expect—is essential for anyone serious about legal education. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) doesn’t just measure your ability to succeed on exam day; it predicts your readiness for law school and shapes your admission prospects at top-tier institutions.

Decoding Your LSAT Score Range and What Numbers Actually Mean

The LSAT generates two distinct scores: a raw score and a scale score. Your raw score represents the number of questions you answered correctly, with incorrect answers carrying no penalty. This raw number then converts into a scale score ranging from 120 to 180—and this scale score is what law schools care about most.

So what qualifies as good? According to Law School Admission Council (LSAC) research correlating performance to first-year law school success, the median LSAT score sits at 153. This benchmark serves as a middle ground, but what’s good depends on your target institution. Top-tier law schools typically expect scores in the 160-170+ range, while solid mid-tier programs often seek candidates scoring between 150-160. A score of 140-149 remains competitive for certain schools, though it limits your options and scholarship potential.

Understanding where your target score falls within the 120-180 spectrum helps frame realistic expectations. Scores below 140 significantly narrow law school opportunities, while scores above 160 open doors to prestigious institutions and stronger financial aid packages.

Why LSAT Scores Matter Far Beyond a Single Number

Your LSAT score influences more than just acceptance letters. Universities use this score to assess whether you possess the fundamental skills required for legal practice: logical reasoning, reading comprehension under pressure, and analytical problem-solving. A strong LSAT score signals that you’re prepared for the rigorous curriculum ahead and capable of succeeding in the competitive first year of law school.

Additionally, your score directly impacts scholarship eligibility. Law schools use LSAT results alongside GPA to rank applicants, and higher scores correlate with larger financial awards. This means investing time in achieving a good LSAT score can translate into substantial cost savings over your three-year legal education.

The Median LSAT Score and Competitive Benchmarks

That median score of 153 tells an important story. It represents the middle point where half of test-takers score higher and half score lower. But for ambitious law school applicants, aiming at or above the median simply isn’t enough—you’re competing for limited seats at prestigious institutions.

Top 20 law schools typically see median LSAT scores of 165 or higher. Regional powerhouses demand scores in the 155-165 range. If you’re targeting a strong law school that will open doors to major legal markets, positioning yourself above the 160 threshold substantially improves your prospects. This is what separates a “good” LSAT score from a merely acceptable one: alignment with your target school’s profile.

Breaking Down the LSAT: Five Key Sections That Shape Your Score

Your LSAT score doesn’t emerge from a single assessment. Instead, it reflects your performance across five distinct sections: reading comprehension, analytical reasoning (commonly called “logic games”), logical reasoning, writing, and a variable research section.

Reading Comprehension tests your ability to digest dense, complex legal texts and synthesize information—skills central to any legal career. You’ll encounter passages from diverse fields including social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities, not just law-related material.

Analytical Reasoning assesses deductive logic and your capacity to work through scenarios with conditional rules. These “logic games” aren’t arbitrary puzzles; they mirror the reasoning required when analyzing contracts or regulatory frameworks.

Logical Reasoning directly evaluates argumentation—identifying logical flaws, constructing sound conclusions, and reasoning by analogy. This mirrors the core skill of legal practice itself.

Writing measures your ability to construct a defensible argument and articulate it clearly. Though unscored, you must complete this section to view your multiple-choice results.

Achieving a good LSAT score requires competency across all sections. Strength in one area cannot fully compensate for weakness in another, making well-rounded preparation essential.

Investment and Return: Understanding LSAT Costs and Score Payoff

Pursuing a good LSAT score requires financial investment. The exam itself costs $215, and most ABA-approved law schools require submission through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which costs $195 for a five-year subscription. Each law school report generated by CAS costs $45 per institution.

Beyond these base costs, optional services include score preview ($45-$75) and score audits ($150). When applying to multiple schools, these expenses accumulate quickly—potentially $300-$500+ before tuition even begins.

This investment framework highlights why achieving a good LSAT score matters strategically: a higher score improves scholarship offers, potentially covering significant portions of law school costs. The return on achieving an excellent score often exceeds the upfront testing and application investment many times over.

The Three-Hour Sprint: Test Structure and Time Management

The multiple-choice portion spans approximately three hours across four sections, each lasting 35 minutes with 10-minute breaks between sections two and three. The writing portion takes an additional 35 minutes and is administered separately on demand.

This time structure requires strategic pacing. With approximately 25 questions per section and only 35 minutes, you’ll have roughly 84 seconds per question. Achieving a good LSAT score demands not just knowledge but also time management precision—you cannot afford to linger too long on difficult questions.

Why LSAT Preparation Matters Before Test Day

Knowing what’s a good LSAT score motivates preparation, but understanding why these scores matter drives action. The LSAT assesses skills essential to legal thinking, not memorized content. This means test success requires targeted practice with logic games, timed reading passages, and argument analysis.

Most successful test-takers invest 3-4 months in structured preparation, working through official practice materials and refining their approach to each section. Without this investment, achieving a competitive score becomes significantly more difficult.

Moving Forward: From Good Score to Law School Success

A good LSAT score opens doors, but it’s only the beginning of your legal education journey. Law schools use LSAT performance as one indicator among many—your GPA, personal statement, and professional experience also matter. However, achieving a strong LSAT score strengthens your overall application and improves your chances at your target institution.

Ultimately, what’s a good LSAT score depends on your specific goals. If you’re targeting a top-20 law school, excellent means 165+. For strong regional programs, competitive means 155-165. For any law school aspirant, good means beating that 153 median benchmark and positioning yourself above the competition at your target institution.