Want to balance going to law school while still maintaining an active lifestyle and scaling mountains on the weekends? Then exploring law schools in Colorado should be at the top of your list. Colorado is known for its arid desert, river canyons, and the snow-covered Rocky Mountains. This state is a magnet for winter sport enthusiasts, those who love nature, and college students. The capital and largest city, Denver, dates to the Old West, with a vibrant downtown that draws crowds and people from all walks of life. 

Below, you’ll discover what the top law schools in Colorado are and the median LSAT scores and GPAs you’ll need to be a competitive applicant.

Top Law Schools in Colorado

1. University of Colorado, Boulder Law School
2. University of Denver Sturm College of Law

These are the two highest-ranking law schools in Colorado. Each has a prestigious program, with exciting student organizations and legal journals you can get involved in. Keep reading to see if either of them is right for you.

1.  University of Colorado, Boulder Law School

U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #46
Tuition: $36,494 (full-time)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.79
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 164
Acceptance Rate: 36.4%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 81.1%

The University of Colorado Boulder Law School has an accelerated program that allows students to graduate with a JD in as little as 2.5 years. So, if speeding through your law degree is of interest, this is your place! Areas of study include legal theory, legal writing, health law and policy, civil rights and racial justice, and entrepreneurial and business law (among others). This law school also has an Experiential Learning Program for clinics, externships, and voluntary public service to help you gain practical experience. 

There are three legal journals at this campus, including the University of Colorado Law Review, the Colorado Environmental Law Journal, and the Colorado Technology Law Journal. Additionally, there are more than 30 student organizations to check out, including the Colorado Law Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Environmental Law Society. 

The application deadline is April 1 and the fee to submit is $65. The full-time tuition (for both in-state and out-of-state students) is less than that of many other top-ranked programs. It’s even less than what many students at lower-ranked programs are paying. 

2.  University of Denver Sturm College of Law

U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #88 (Tie)
Tuition: $61,530 (full-time)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.65
Media LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 159
Acceptance Rate: 53.1%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 81.7%

The Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver was founded in 1892 and is one of the first law schools established in America’s Mountain West. A heavy focus is placed on clinical training, legal writing, trial advocacy, and ethics. This law school offers many options, including a traditional JD program, a professional part-time JD program, four LLM degree options, and four master’s degree options.

Students can tailor their legal training by enrolling in a variety of programs, including the Constitutional Rights and Remedies Program, the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program, and the Animal Law Program. Earning certificates in one of these programs allows students to gain expertise, consider a career in a particular area of the law, and network with like-minded individuals. 

The application deadline is June 1 and the fee to submit is $65. Tuition is significantly higher compared to the University of Colorado, Boulder, which ranks higher at the latter end of the Top 50.

How Do I Get Accepted to a Colorado Law School?

Whether you’re applying to the best law school in Colorado or in another state, the process is the same. The first step in the law school admissions timeline is to take the LSAT. Although there are no required LSAT scores for law school, the median scores of these law schools in Colorado give you a pretty good indication of how you compare to their previous incoming class. Remember, law schools want to attract the best, so make sure you give yourself the ultimate chance by getting a high LSAT score.

Further Reading

📈 What Is a Good LSAT Score Anyway?

📍 Download a Free 18-Month Law School Application Timeline

Ace the LSAT

Blueprint LSAT Prep has the best LSAT prep courses tailored to your individual learning style. From a Self-Paced Online LSAT Course to a Live LSAT Class and specialized 170+ Course and even private LSAT tutoring, we have the LSAT prep designed to increase your LSAT score by 15 points, on average!

Don’t want to commit to a prep course right now? Get access to a bunch of free LSAT resources when you start a free Blueprint LSAT trial.

Arkansas is a landlocked southern U.S. state bordering the Mississippi River and home to the Ozark and the Ouachita Mountains. 

It’s the 33rd most populous U.S. state, the 29th largest by area, and it’s often been satirized for some of its questionable laws. Some of these are downright hilarious, such as it being illegal to honk your car horn near a sandwich shop in Little Rock past 9 p.m. All kidding aside, the state played an important role in American history, and many consider the integration of Central High School in Little Rock to be a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement.  

Arkansas is also the birthplace of former President Bill Clinton. His presidential center, which includes the Clinton Presidential Library, the offices of the Clinton Foundation, and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, is located in Little Rock. 

Below are the top law schools in Arkansas, which are steeped in history and filled with possibilities. 

Top Law Schools in Arkansas

1. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville School of Law
2. University of Arkansas, Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law

These are two high-ranking law schools in Arkansas. Each comes with a top-notch law program and a high acceptance rate. Keep reading to see if either one of these law schools is right for you. 

1. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville School of Law 

U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #115 (Tie)
Tuition: $18,881 (full-time)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.63
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 156
Acceptance Rate: 28%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 81.8%

The University of Arkansas Fayetteville School of Law offers clinics in civil litigation and advocacy, human trafficking, immigration, community and rural enterprise development, and criminal practice. It also has pro bono programs to help you gain practical legal experience. Students interested in earning dual degrees can earn a JD/MBA (Master of Business Administration), a JD/MA (Master of Arts), a JD/MSW (Master of Social Work), or a JD/MPA (Master of Public Administration). 

There is also an opportunity to become involved in one of the school’s 27 legal organizations, including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, the Black Law Students Association, and the Environmental Law Society. Law journals produced here include the Arkansas Law Review and the Journal of Food Law and Policy. 

The Fayetteville School of Law is particularly appealing for its low tuition and the slightly lower median LSAT score of program entrants compared to applicants at the top 50 law schools. 

2. University of Arkansas, Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law  

U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #139 (Tie)
Tuition: $17,474 (full-time)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.47
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 151
Acceptance Rate: 39.2%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 75.4%

The William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, is a public law school. The Bowen Student Success Program and the Professional Mentor Program pair students with a practicing lawyer and judge in their first year for guidance and practical experience. Before graduation, law school students are required to participate in an externship or clinic, and are also encouraged to participate in the Bowen Concurrent Bar Preparation Program. 

Students at Bowen enjoy a low student-faculty ratio of roughly 10:1 and can take advantage of the school’s part-time evening program, the only part-time law school in Arkansas. The school has very affordable tuition by law school standards, and a relatively high acceptance rate. Last but not least, Bowen also accepts JD-Next scores if you’re dreading taking the LSAT!

How Do I Get Accepted to an Arkansas Law School?

Whether you’re applying to a law school in Arkansas or another part of the country, the process is the same. The first step in the admissions timeline is to take the LSAT. Although there are no required LSAT scores for law school, both of these schools in Arkansas have median LSAT scores that give you a pretty good indication of how you compare to their previous incoming class.

Remember, law schools want to attract the best, so give yourself the ultimate chance by getting a the best LSAT score you can.

Ace the LSAT

Blueprint LSAT Prep has the best LSAT prep courses tailored to your individual learning style. From a DIY Self-Paced Online LSAT Course to a Live LSAT Class and specialized 170+ Course and even private LSAT tutoring, we have the LSAT prep designed to increase your LSAT score by 15 points, on average!

Don’t want to commit to a prep course right now? Get access to a bunch of free LSAT resources when you start a free Blueprint LSAT trial.

Have you ever wondered, “What are my chances of getting into law school?”  You’re not alone. Every future law student hits that moment of curiosity when they start exploring schools and imagining themselves in a 1L classroom. Fortunately, there are tools that can give you a quick, data-based estimate of your chances. They’re called law school predictors, and they’re an easy (and surprisingly fun) way to see how your LSAT score and GPA stack up.

Before you start plugging in numbers, here’s what these predictors do (and don’t) tell you, and how to use them wisely.

What Is a Law School Predictor?

Law school predictors are tools that curate admissions data from law schools about the statistical breakdowns of their accepted law students’ undergraduate GPAs and LSAT scores. Potential applicants can plug their own info in to see how they might match up. Essentially, they let law school applicants know how likely it is to be admitted to different law schools, based on the raw numbers alone.

You type in your stats, pick a school, and voilà—you get a quick snapshot of how your numbers stack up. Some even let you explore how a few extra LSAT points could shift your odds.

But let’s be clear: Statisticians are not unfailing oracles—ask any data analyst and they’ll say the same. Just because something is likely doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed. (That’s something you should remember for Must Be True questions!) This is particularly true when you’re looking at top law schools, where high LSAT scores and near-perfect high GPAs are more of a necessary factor than a sufficient one. But when you’re first starting to seriously pull together a list of schools to consider applying to, a numbers-based approach is a good way to narrow your choices to a more manageable set.

Law school predictors give you a general sense of where you might be competitive, not a definitive yes or no. Admissions decisions are complex and take much more into account than two numbers.

How Law School Predictors Work

Different predictors have slight differences between them. Most, like LSAC’s calculator and Blueprint’s Law School Admissions Calculator, base their predictions on law school admissions data. Some predictors use historical self-reported data from applicants.

Behind the scenes, the tool uses statistical modeling to estimate your probability of admission based on past trends—specifically, how students with similar LSAT/GPA combinations fared in previous cycles.

However, predictors can’t measure the so-called “soft factors,” including your personal statement, letters of recommendation, work experience, or unique background. Those elements often make the difference between an acceptance and a waitlist spot, so don’t treat the numbers as absolute truth.

Why Use a Law School Predictor?

Sometimes, you just want to see where you stand or where you could be if you added a few LSAT points or locked in to boost your GPA. Knowing even an estimated starting point helps you plan your next step with confidence.

A law school admissions calculator can help you:

• Build a balanced school list. See which law schools might be reach, target, or safety options.
• Experiment with scenarios. Wondering what a five-point LSAT boost could do against your GPA? Plug it in and find out.
• Set realistic goals. Get a clearer sense of what LSAT score range to aim for based on your dream schools’ medians.
• Demystify the process. Admissions can feel like a black box; predictors make it a little less mysterious (and a little more fun).

How to Read (and Not Overread) Your Results

It’s easy to fixate on the percentage you see — 30%, 70%, 85% — but these numbers are estimates, not verdicts. Remember, admissions cycle trends shift every year, and law schools evaluate more than just stats.

Instead of stressing about the number, use it as a launch point for research:

• Compare it to the school’s current medians from the school’s ABA’s 509 reports.
• Note how much your odds change when you increase your LSAT score — that’s your motivation to keep studying!
• Factor in your unique strengths. Internships, leadership roles, essays, and life experience all matter more than you might think.

Common Mistakes Students Make with Law School Predictors

Let’s clear up a few common misconceptions:

❌ Treating it as fact. Predictors estimate; they don’t decide.
❌ Ignoring holistic factors. Your story matters just as much as your stats.
❌ Comparing tools without context. Each law school admissions calculator uses different data sources or models.
❌ Skipping research. Always double-check medians and acceptance rates directly from the schools.

Don’t write off a school simply because you got a low predictor estimate, especially if it’s your dream school!

Final Thoughts: Have Fun, but Stay Grounded

Perfect fortune-tellers or not, law school predictors are good tools to keep in your back pocket. Play around with some to see how your chances change if you switch up the numbers. If nothing else, they serve as reminders that even a few points on the LSAT can make a big difference to your application. But don’t let one percentage define your future. Admissions decisions are made by humans, and are meant to be holistic and sometimes unpredictable.

Remember, a law school admissions calculator can estimate your chances, but improving your LSAT score can transform them. Start prepping with Blueprint’s expert-designed LSAT courses and see just how far a few extra points can take you. Blueprint LSAT experts help our students crush their exams and increase their LSAT score by 15 points on average. Whether you want the flexibility of a Self-Paced Course, prefer to navigate the LSAT with instructors in a Live Course or 170+ Course, or even private LSAT tutoring, we have the study method that fits your learning style.

Further Reading

📈 Applying to Law School with a High LSAT Score and Low GPA: Although the focus on the LSAT is probably a little annoying for the 4.0 GPA’s of the world, it is a blessing for law school applicants who may have been a little more focused on who they knew than what they knew.

📉 Applying to Law School with a High GPA and Low LSAT Score: The best news about being a reverse-splitter is that it’s a situation that can be remedied.

Located in the scenic southwestern United States, Arizona is the sixth-largest state and home to the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation. In fact, over a quarter of the state is reservation land. Natural wonders and famous tourist destinations in Arizona include the mountains of Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park, and the desert town of Tucson (home to the University of Arizona).

Going to law school here means you’ll work and play in inspired settings, be able to immerse yourself in rich indigenous history, and see arguably the best sunsets in the country. 

Here are the best law schools in Arizona, based on rankings obtained from U.S. News and World Report. 

Best Law Schools in Arizona

1. Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
2.  University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law

These Arizona law schools are among the top law schools in the United States. Each comes with a top-rated program and close proximity to the Grand Canyon, so you can hit the books and some of the best hiking trails in the country on the same day!

1. Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #45
Tuition: $29,037 (full-time)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.9
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 165
Acceptance Rate: 22.1%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 86.6%

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is a public law school located in Phoenix and is one of the best law schools in Arizona.

It’s home to the Center for Law, Science, and Innovation, which is the first entity to examine the legal implications of scientific and technological discoveries, as well as the Indian Legal Program, which aids tribal governments.

Ten clinics are offered, including those on patent, immigration, and tribal law. JD candidates have over 50 student organizations to choose from, each of which allow you to network and gain practical experience in specific areas. 

The school’s legal journals include the Arizona State Law Journal, Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology, the Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, and the Law Journal for Social Justice.

In-state tuition is on the lower end for a top law school, but about average for out-of-state at $51,359. There’s no cost to submit your application. The deadline is on March 1, so it’s best to get your package together sooner rather than later.

2. University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law

U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #59
Tuition: $25,353 (full-time)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.78
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 163
Acceptance Rate: 30.4%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 78.5%

The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law is located in scenic Tucson. Founded in 1915, it was the first law school in the Grand Canyon State. Students enrolled in this best law school in Arizona can not only earn a JD, but there are also specialized degrees offered in indigenous people’s law and international trade and business law. 

The school has four student-run journals, including the Arizona Law Review, the Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law, the Arizona Journal of Environmental Law & Policy, and the Arizona Law Journal of Emerging Technologies. In addition, the Journal of Appellate Practice and Process was acquired from the University of Arkansas. 

The application deadline is July 15, giving you ample time to submit. There’s no fee, and tuition is on the lower end at $29,988 for full-time out-of-state students.

Sign up to get expert tips and exclusive invites to free LSAT classes and law school admissions workshops!

How Do I Get Into a Top Arizona Law School?

Whether you’re applying to the best law school in Arizona or Alabama, the process is the same. The first step in the law school admissions timeline is to take the LSAT. Although there are no required LSAT scores for law school, both of these schools have median LSAT scores that give you a pretty good indication of how you compare to their previous incoming class. Remember, law schools want to attract the best, so make sure you give yourself the ultimate chance by getting a high LSAT score.

Ace the LSAT

Blueprint LSAT Prep has the best LSAT prep courses tailored to your individual learning style. From a DIY Self-Paced Online LSAT Course to a Live LSAT Class and specialized 170+ Course and even private LSAT tutoring, we have the LSAT prep designed to increase your LSAT score by 15 points, on average!

Don’t want to commit to a prep course right now? Get access to a bunch of free LSAT resources when you start a free Blueprint LSAT trial. 

Spooky season is here, and for many aspiring law students, nothing feels more nerve-wracking than the October LSAT. But don’t let the fear of the Reading Comprehension section or necessary assumption questions haunt you! Bring out your inner LSAT slayer with these valuable tips, insights, and predictions to help you approach the October LSAT with confidence.

What Will Be on the 2025 October LSAT?

Logical Reasoning

In the LSAT Logical Reasoning section, don’t be surprised to see a few more conditional or principle questions than normal. 

For these questions, fight the temptation to dive right into diagramming. Start with the big picture for that given question and use diagramming as a tool to help break down the pieces of that picture. For example, if you are trying to fix the flaws in a conditional argument, start by identifying an argument’s conclusions and premises before diagramming out the logic of those individual parts. 

Logical Reasoning sections tend to increase in difficulty as they go. However, I would expect at least one curveball question in the first 10-12 that is tougher than the rest of those questions. Be careful not to spend too much time on those early tough questions up front. This can lead to you feeling behind the curve on timing and rushing through the rest of the section. 

Each question is worth the same amount of points. So, making an educated guess on those tough questions and giving yourself enough time to get points on easier questions will probably lead to a better score than spending the extra 2-3 minutes on one question. 

It’s also worth noting that the LSAT is scored on a curve. If there are more tough questions, you’ll probably get a more generous curve, so try not to get in your own head on those tough questions.  

More LSAT Help

🧠 An Introduction to the LSAT Logical Reasoning Section

❓ The Best LSAT Guessing Strategies

📈 How Is the LSAT Scored?

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension Sections tend to be somewhat formulaic in the passage subject matters you can expect. The LSAT wants to offer a mix of subjects for students of different educational backgrounds.  You can expect one legal, one arts, one social science/history, and one science passage on test day. 

This means that unless you are Leonardo DaVinci, you’re probably going to have at least one passage that is a bit out of your comfort zone on test day. So, be prepared for how you want to deal with the section and those individual passages. As a general rule, the less comfortable you are with the material of a given passage, the more important it is to focus on the big-picture takeaways and viewpoints expressed in that passage. 

As threshold issues, focus on answering what the issue or subject of the passage is as a whole. What does the author seem to care about? Where does the author stand on those issues?  Fully understanding the details is less important if you understand the role and purpose of those details. 

More LSAT Help

📖 How To Approach Reading Comp on the LSAT

📖 Nailing the Author’s Attitude on RC

Final Thoughts

While the LSAT is a difficult test, it is designed to be objective and beatable.  Therefore, if you encounter two answers that seem similar in certain respects, there’s probably something else going on with one of those answers that makes it wrong. Focus on identifying the differences and those objectively unsupported or wrong elements in answers. 

Perfectionism is a trait that many future lawyers have and can be helpful in some respects. However, on test day, you want to avoid the tendency to double or triple-check answers. Timing doesn’t always permit that 100% certainty on tougher questions. It’s important to learn how to be okay with educated guesses or calculated risks, particularly if spending that extra time on those tougher questions will take away points from others. 

Stay active and keep moving. Avoid that dead time where you are stuck or re-reading stimuli and passages. Stay focused on your goals at hand, and you’ll be able to efficiently and effectively navigate test day! 

P.S. Decided to reschedule your October LSAT? Or simply getting familiar with the test before your test date later this year? We can help maximize your prep time!

Schedule a free consultation with our Student Success Team to help you find the best LSAT course to meet your scheduling needs and score goals.

It’s September and that means another LSAT is upon us. Let’s dive into what you can expect on test day!

What Will Be on the 2025 September LSAT?

Logical Reasoning

You’ll get two scored Logical Reasoning sections on the September LSAT test day (and potentially one more experimental unscored section), testing your ability to make and analyze arguments. For the past few years, the most common question types have been weaken, strengthen, necessary, soft must be true, and flaw. Notably, over half of the questions in these sections will have flawed or incomplete arguments. So, if you’re being asked to identify flaws or do something to an argument, make sure you identify the gaps in the logic or assumptions the argument is making first (as the answers always relate to these areas).  

You can expect the difficulty to slowly ramp up over the course of a given section. The first ten questions are mostly easy to medium in difficulty. Expect a slight bump up in difficulty around question 11, and a steeper bump up in difficulty around question 15 or 16. This means that if you’re trying to tackle all the questions in the section, you should allocate more time for those later questions that are a bit more complex and have trickier trap answers more often.

That said, the harder questions aren’t qualitatively different than the easier ones. You just have to be a bit more precise with your language and careful to avoid making assumptions when analyzing arguments. You may want to skip these early tough questions and come back at the end. However, make sure to include guesses for any answers you don’t get to, as you don’t lose points for missed questions on the LSAT.

More LSAT Help

🧠 An Introduction to the LSAT Logical Reasoning Section

❓ The Best LSAT Guessing Strategies

Reading Comprehension

You’ll get one scored Reading Comprehension section (and potentially an unscored experimental section that can show up anywhere), which is focused on testing your ability to analyze the underlying logic and structure of a long-form passage. Despite appearing to be about comprehending details, this section is really mostly going to test your understanding of the overall purpose, subject, and viewpoints of the passage,and how the details support those viewpoints. You generally won’t be tested on random details in the abstract, as the LSAT cares much more about testing the function or purpose of those details in the larger context of the passage as a whole.

As with Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension sections generally ramp up in difficulty from passage to passage. However, this ramp-up is a bit less reliable than in Logical Reasoning. I’d expect a mix of subject matters on the September LSAT test day. Expect one legal, one arts, one science, and one social science passage. Identifying the subject of the passage early on can often inform what to expect for the rest of the passage. For example, arts passages tend to focus on artists’ unique contributions or art movements.  History passages will often detail changes over time or the impact of important moments or movements in history. Finding the purpose or what the author cares about early on can allow you to put the other paragraphs into proper context, which in turn allows you to determine the relevance of the details in that context.

More LSAT Help

📖 How To Approach Reading Comp on the LSAT

📖 Nailing the Author’s Attitude on RC

Final Thoughts

It’s important to keep in mind that test-makers want to focus on objective elements that they can point to in wrong answers that make them wrong.  That means if you are on the fence about something or a part of the answer is in the grey area, see if you can find another part of the answer that is definitively wrong to allow you to eliminate that answer. The right answers on the LSAT are right because they plausibly fit what you’re looking for and don’t do anything wrong. Each answer is only as good as its worst element, so if a tempting answer has something you can point to as wrong, it doesn’t matter how good the rest of that answer is – it’s wrong.  

As you go through the LSAT sections, you should also keep in mind that each question is only worth one point, and the test is on a curve. If there is an absolutely brutal question, the curve likely will reflect that difficulty. Don’t let those tough questions impact your performance on easier questions. Stay focused on the task at hand, roll with the punches, and stay focused on seeking out that next point you can get. Short-term memory and a resilient mindset are your best friends here to achieve your dream score!

P.S. Decided to reschedule your September LSAT? Or simply getting familiar with the test before your test date later this year? We can help maximize your prep time!

Schedule a free consultation with our Student Success Team to help you find the best LSAT course to meet your scheduling needs and score goals.

August is upon us, and that means it is time for another LSAT!  The August LSAT kicks off the new testing year with a significant milestone. This year, it stands out as one of the largest August LSAT administrations in recent history, with over 33,000 registrants! So what can you expect to see on the LSAT? Let’s dive in.  

What Will Be on the 2025 August LSAT?

Logical Reasoning

The majority of Logical Reasoning questions will center around incomplete or flawed arguments. You’ll be tasked with identifying, replicating, or operating on those flaws. For these questions, the right answer will pretty much always center on the assumptions or gaps in the logic of the argument. Make sure you are focused on why the support isn’t enough to guarantee the conclusion. Gravitate away from answers that seem focused only on the premises or conclusions in isolation. The nice thing about Logical Reasoning questions is that you’ll know they are flawed by the prompt (flaw, parallel flaw, strengthen, weaken, sufficient, necessary, & crux), so make sure you have a handle on argument flaws before going into the answers. 

You can also expect the Logical Reasoning Section on the August LSAT to get increasingly difficult as it goes, with spikes in difficulty happening around question 11 and question 16. Generally speaking, the later in the section a question is, the more likely there are subtle equivocations or traps in wrong answers that make otherwise correct answers incorrect.  

Keep in mind that an answer is only as good as its worst or least supported elements. So, slow down a bit on these questions and make sure you are being a bit more open-minded to answers that perform the function you are looking for in an unexpected way. A good rule is to only eliminate answers if you can point to what is indisputably wrong with them. Try not to focus on subjective judgment calls that could go either way.  

More LSAT Help

🧠 An Introduction to the LSAT Logical Reasoning Section

📝 If You’re Studying for the LSAT, Memorize This List of Vocabulary Terms

Reading Comprehension

Despite Reading Comprehension questions being purportedly focused on comprehending the details within a passage, you can expect most questions to be on viewpoints and how the structure of the passage is set up to express and support those viewpoints. While comprehending supporting details can be helpful, most questions will focus on why they are there, not what they are saying in an absolute sense.  

On the August LSAT, you can generally expect: 

• A main point question 
• At least one viewpoint question
• At least one author attitude question
• And one organization/role question
•  You can often expect a primary purpose question as well 

These will all focus on the overall purpose of the passage, how the viewpoints weigh in on the issue at hand, and how the paragraphs fit into the broader structural context. While there will often be one or two inference/specific reference questions that focus more on detail, you still want to think about the scope of the passage (and its paragraphs) and whether those details make sense in the context of the passage.

You can also expect a mix of subject matters for the passages.  It’s important to remember that the LSAT test-makers (i.e. the Law School Admissions Council) don’t expect you to know anything about those particular topics. They aren’t really testing your ability to comprehend complex science or technical art details. They are focused on your ability to use context clues to describe how the sentences fit together to make up each paragraph and how each paragraph fits together to make up the passage. Think of these as long-form arguments where your job is to identify the support structure, the main point, and the author’s stance on each argument expressed.

More LSAT Help

🎨 Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About the Arts

⚖️ Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About the Law

🧬 Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About Science

Final Thoughts

2025 August LSAT registrations are up nearly 50% from last year. Despite this jump in test-takers, it’s important to remember that the curve for the test has already been set in stone. It reflects how past test-takers performed on those questions when presented in experimental sections during past LSAT exams. What this means for you is that you aren’t actually directly competing against this batch of students. It also means that if you encounter a particularly challenging question or passage, it likely will come with a slightly more generous curve. You’ll be able to get more wrong than on an easier test and get the same score.  

Focus on tackling as many easier questions first and don’t let those particularly challenging ones hurt your performance on those easier ones. No one question will make or break your score unless you let it impact your performance or timing.

Try to stay focused on giving yourself the best chance at the most points, instead of getting any one question right. If you find yourself stuck, take an educated guess and move on. Most importantly, trust your instincts, as they may be picking up on something subconsciously that might be tough to explain in the moment. 

P.S. Decided to reschedule your August LSAT? Or simply getting familiar with the LSAT before your test date later this year? We can help maximize your prep time!

Schedule a free consultation with our Student Success Team to help you find the best LSAT course to meet your scheduling needs and score goals.

After the LSAT changed from a paper-and-pencil test to a digital interface, it was pretty safe to assume you could transfer most of the same strategies. The one section that might require you to craft a strategy that’s different from the other standardized tests you’ve likely taken before now is Reading Comprehension. In this article, we’re going to walk through LSAT Reading Comprehension tips and an example to help you best approach the section.

Table of Contents

• What’s Tested on the LSAT Reading Comprehension Section?
  • What Are LSAT Reading Comprehension Questions About?
  • Do I Need To Prepare for the Reading Comprehension Section?
• How to Approach the LSAT Reading Comprehension Section
  • The Old Reading Comprehension Strategy
  • The New LSAT Reading Comprehension Strategy
• LSAT Reading Comprehension Example Question

What’s Tested on the LSAT Reading Comprehension Section?

First, what’s even on the LSAT Reading Comprehension Section? Why do students have so much trouble with it?

The purpose of the LSAT Reading Comprehension Section is to measure the ability to read and understand dense materials similar to what you will likely encounter in law school.  It tests skills that are essential for success in law school and in your career as a lawyer, such as critical reading and critical thinking.

The LSAT Reading Comp Section consists of four sets of questions, each based on a different passage. These passages can cover a wide range of topics, including social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and law. The passages are typically around 500-700 words and followed by five to eight questions each. Sets with two passages are called Comparative Reading passages and their questions focus on the relationships between the two passages.

More LSAT Reading Comprehension Tips

🎨 Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About the Arts

⚖️ Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About the Law

🧬 Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About Science

 What Are the LSAT Reading Comprehension Question Types?

LSAT Reading Comprehension questions relate to the characteristics of the passages, including:

• Main idea or primary purpose
• Information that is explicitly stated
• Information or ideas that can be inferred
• The meaning or purpose of words or phrases as used in the passage context
• Organization or structure
• The application of information in the selection to a new context
• Principles that function in the selection
• Analogies to claims or arguments in the selection
• An author’s attitude
• The impact of new information on claims or arguments in the selection

Do I Need To Prepare for the Reading Comprehension Section?

Yes! It is important to prepare for the LSAT Reading Comprehension section as it makes up a significant portion of your LSAT score. While fundamentally it’s similar to reading comp sections you encountered on the SAT, ACT, or other standardized tests you’ve likely taken, the LSAT Reading Comprehension Section requires just as much strategy as the Logical Reasoning Section.

How to Approach the LSAT Reading Comprehension Section

Now that you understand what’s tested in the LSAT Reading Comp Section, let’s discuss how to approach it. The key to success in this section is not just being able to read quickly

LSAT Reading Comprehension Tips

The Old Reading Comprehension Strategy

Most test prep methodologies encourage their students to be active readers. They tell you to engage with the text. And not just by underlining or highlighting “the important parts.”

[Definitely not just underlining or highlighting “the important parts.” You give an aspiring attorney a highlighter and a passage, and you’ll invariably get a very colorful passage back.]

We’re pretty bad at processing information and determining whether it’s “important” or “unimportant,” especially on a difficult, timed test like the LSAT. So, most people default to assuming that basically everything is important and end up underlining or highlighting nearly the entire passage. Understandably, this makes it pretty hard to find the actually important details when it comes time to answer the questions.

So rather than highlighting or underlining exclusively, we encouraged our students to annotate the passage as they read it. Basically, we told them to write short descriptions of the functions each paragraph plays, right next to that paragraph. We called these short descriptions “tags.”

These tags helped locate the important details and answered questions about the organization of the passage or the role played by certain paragraphs. Tags kept test takers from doing totally unhelpful things, such as underlining the entire passage. For many students, increasing their accuracy, speed, and confidence in Reading Comprehension was just a matter of getting better at making tags.

But with the digital LSAT interface, a test taker can’t make these tags next to the paragraphs of the passage. Admittedly, there are some helpful features to the digital Reading Comp interface. For one, the platform automatically highlights the relevant part of the passage when a question makes a direct reference to a quotation.

The New LSAT Reading Comprehension Strategy

While you can’t tag, you can underline or highlight the passage. So let’s talk about how you can get all the benefits of tagging without being able to, you know, actually tag the passage. More importantly, we’ll discuss how to limit the amount of underlining and highlighting you do as you read the passage.

Then, we’ll get into how to complete an LSAT Reading Comprehension example question.

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1. Read the Passage in “Passage Only” View

For each Reading Comprehension passage, you have two reading options. “Passage Only” mode will remove the questions from your view and allow you to view the entire passage at once. “Passage with Question” mode displays one question next to the passage and forces you to scroll through the passage as you read.

When reading the passage, we recommend doing so in “Passage Only” mode. You’ve spent enough of your life scrolling through Instagram and TikTok to know how time-consuming scrolling can be. It’ll be easier to cross-reference certain parts of a passage if the entire passage is displayed at once, saving you valuable time.

2. Write a Short Description of Each Paragraph on Your Scratch Paper

Among the items you can bring to the LSAT, scratch paper is one of them! If you’re testing in person at a test center, you’ll receive three scratch paper booklets. If you’re testing remotely at home, you’re allowed to have six blank sheets of scratch paper on your desk.

Here’s your next LSAT Reading Comprehension tip: write your tags on your scratch paper. Number each paragraph, and write a brief description of what that paragraph is all about. This description should be no longer than a sentence. Think of it as making a title, or a header, for each paragraph. You definitely don’t need a lengthy description of each and every detail.

Here’s how I would write the tags for the first passage from the December 2014 exam (or Prep Test 74) about why perfumes are not considered art.

We definitely want to make sure that we’re tagging whenever new viewpoints are introduced. In that perfume passage, the author poses a question in the first paragraph, asking why perfume isn’t considered an art form.

These notes (which I have taken to calling “Bliffnotes” — a portmanteau of Blueprint and Cliffnotes that literally everyone else refuses to use) will help you in a few different ways.

If you need to answer a question about a specific detail from the passage, these notes can serve as a table of contents that can help you identify where that detail is likely located. If I have a question about “painting” for the above passage, I’d look to these notes, infer that the support for that question is likely in the second paragraph, and check there for something I highlighted (see Step 4).

Further, many questions will ask you about the organization of the passage. You can look for an answer that resembles each point in your notes. Something like, “The first paragraph poses a question. The middle paragraphs present a case that helps to justify the posing of that question. The final paragraph presents a possible answer to the question.”

And if a question ever asks about a role played by a given paragraph, you have that answer in the notes. Done and done!

3. Limit Your Underlining to the Words and Phrases That Express the Author’s Attitude

Do you have tagging down? Great! Let’s move our attention to marking up the passage. Remember, you only want to underline the important stuff. Still, as you read a passage, a lot of it will seem important. So what should you underline?

In Reading Comprehension, the author’s perspective is significant. Sure, every passage was written by a nameless author, so technically the author thought about everything in the passage.

However, some passages have authors who take an active role in the passage. They advance one of the arguments and express many thoughts and opinions. Other passages have authors who take a passive role in the passage. They neutrally describe other people’s arguments and don’t express many, if any, thoughts or opinions.

When you have a very active author, you want to know what that author thinks.

The most important words in those passages are words and phrases that express the author’s attitude.  So, if the author uses strong adjectives or adverbs, underline those words. Some examples include saying something:

• Is interesting
• Is compelling beyond doubt
• Is notable
• Is a masterpiece
• Seems odd

We should also underline the author’s conclusions. Since the author’s conclusion in the passage and the main point of the passage are essentially the same thing. So look out for common conclusion indicator words:

• Thus
• Clearly
• So
• But
• However
• Nevertheless
• Although

4. Highlight the Secondary Structures and Definitions

Secondary structures are common rhetorical devices authors use to make their point. Things like cause and effect relationships, examples, lists, and questions and answers. When you see any of these things in a passage, go ahead and highlight them too. Those are the important details. They’ll almost certainly be the ones that help you answer the questions.

If you get a detail-based question, use your scratch paper notes to help determine which paragraph the detail is probably located in. Then quickly scan the stuff you highlighted in that passage.

You can also highlight definitions in the passage. Definitions will rarely directly answer questions, but they can help you understand the passage.

A passage may define a concept early on and then not refer to that concept again until the end of the passage. If you highlighted the definition, you could quickly reference that, remind yourself what that concept was, and then better understand the end of the passage.

Here’s another LSAT Reading Comprehension tip: the digital LSAT will allow you to highlight in three different colors. If you want to highlight the different secondary structures in different colors, knock yourself out. Or if you want to highlight your secondary structures in one color and your definitions in another color, have a ball. And if you just want to highlight everything the same color, that’s cool too.

The important thing is that you are highlighting the significant details in the passage. We’ll leave choosing the color up to you.

5. Steer Clear of Obviously Wrong Answers

Incorrect answers in the LSAT Reading Comprehension Section are often out of scope of the passage or distort the passage’s content. To avoid falling into their traps, it is important to pay close attention to the details in the passage and eliminate any answer choices that clearly do not align with them. This is where highlighting and underlining can come in handy.

6. How Much Time Should I Spend on LSAT Reading Comprehension Questions?

Timing on the LSAT is half the battle. Generally, you’ll want to spend about 1:18 per Reading Comprehension question, which is about 8:45 per passage. However, when you’re first starting your LSAT prep, focus on accuracy and completing all the passages, rather than your timing. Speed comes with practice and accuracy.

LSAT Reading Comprehension Example Question

Now let’s consider a real LSAT Reading Comprehension example question from a past exam. Here’s the question:

2. In which one of the following circumstances would the author of the passage be most likely to believe that a perfume manufacturer is justified in altering the formula of a classic perfume?

Given the subject matter, you may have correctly guessed it’s from the same passage on perfume, art, and big perfume we talked about earlier.

I’m not going to make you read the entire passage (although it’s an entertaining one). What we want to do here is show how our tags, highlights, and careful attention to the author’s attitude can help us answer questions without having to give in to our urge to panic-reread the passage.

As we can see from our tags, this passage is set up in a question-and-answer structure. The author starts by posing a question: Why is perfume not considered art?

In addition to our tag, I would also highlight an example (a secondary structure) the author gives of a masterpiece perfume that isn’t taken seriously enough: Joy Parfum by Henri Almeras.

Then they give us two paragraphs explaining why we might consider such an odd question in the first place: Talented perfume makers layer complex ingredients to create a perfume that evokes powerful memories, much like painters and other artists layer paints to create masterpieces with similar emotional impact.

Notice we didn’t tag all that. Tags can be longer or shorter depending on what you find useful, but the sentence I wrote above is kind of complex for a tag. But, once we’ve read our paragraph, short tags like “How it’s like painting” and “How perfume evokes memories, like art” both help you cement what you just read into your head AND give you a roadmap to find details you may have forgotten.

While reading these paragraphs, I would also want to highlight two sentences where the author really makes a strong claim underlining their point: “The parallels between what ought to be regarded as sister arts are undeniable,” and “Perfumers are in the same business as the artist who creates the illusion of life on canvas.”

Lastly, the author finishes the question-and-answer structure with the answer: Big Perfume ruined the art of perfume with their money-grubbing ways, replacing expensive ingredients with cheap substitutes. The highlight here would be “The cynical bean counters in Paris and Zurich [(what a burn)] do not hesitate to tamper with old formulas, insisting on the substitution of cheap chemical compounds that approximately resemble rarer, better ingredients in an effort to increase profits.”

So let’s read our LSAT Reading Comprehension example question again:

2. In which one of the following circumstances would the author of the passage be most likely to believe that a perfume manufacturer is justified in altering the formula of a classic perfume?

This is an author attitude question. It’s asking us what the author thinks would be a good reason to change a perfume formula. Given that, we need to foreground what the author thinks to accurately anticipate what they might say about this new situation before we go to our answer choices.

Based on our tags and highlights, the author clearly believes two big things:

1. Perfume is art and deserves respect as such.
2. Big perfume is ruining the artistry with its focus on the almighty dollar. And as we recall, the author HATES how big perfume is changing formulas to make them cheaper.

Now, to put that all together. The author hates change just for the sake of profits or saving money, so we need to avoid that in any answer choices.

Additionally, the author loves perfume’s artistry, so presumably, they would be okay with a change for art’s sake, or if it gets a perfume closer to its original artistic roots.

Now we’re ready to look at the answer choices:

(A) The alteration makes the perfume more closely resemble Joy Parfum.
(B) The alteration is done to replace an ingredient that is currently very costly.
(C) The alteration replaces a synthetic chemical compound with a natural chemical compound.
(D) The alteration is done to make the perfume popular with a wider variety of customers.
(E) The alteration takes a previously altered perfume closer to its creator’s original formula.

B is the opposite of what the author wants. It’s what the cynical bean counters would do! Cross that out immediately.

Similarly, C and D aren’t on the author’s hot-button issues. What does something being synthetic or popular with customers have to do with art or cost? I would have to start guessing about the implications of these new facts. Are synthetic ingredients cheaper or worse? Does being popular with a wide variety of people mean more profits?

Maybe, but I don’t know. Those answers are causing me to make too many guesses and do too much work to be viable. So, they’re out.

Now we’re between A and E. We know the author does like Joy Parfum—it’s a “masterpiece”—but does he think that every perfume should be like it? That doesn’t seem supported, so I’m suspicious of A.

Let’s move on to E. The change returns a perfume the evil bean counters got to back to its original formula. This doesn’t use the exact terms we were looking for (art or artistry), but it gets to both parts of our anticipation. It reverses the alteration the author doesn’t like and it brings it closer to the perfumer’s original artistic vision for the scent.

And wouldn’t you know it, E is our right answer!

You can see how we used our tags, highlighting, and careful reading for author’s attitude to answer this LSAT Reading Comprehension example question without having to reread the passage!

Final Thoughts

I was initially a little bit upset that the digital LSAT wouldn’t allow test takers to tag the passage. However, I’ve found that scratch paper often helps people make better tags.

When tagging the passage on the paper LSAT, many would get into the unfortunate habit of tagging the passage as they read. That would not only break up the flow of reading the passage, which makes processing the information more difficult, but it would also result in over-tagging the passage. By forcing people to write their tags on separate pieces of paper, it seems like the digital LSAT is leading people to make more minimal and structural notes. Ultimately, this is much more helpful than a ton of sloppy notes in the margins of a passage.

Ready to practice your new Reading Comprehension tagging skills? Create a free Blueprint LSAT account to get access to a free practice LSAT exam with explanations and in-depth performance analytics!

Want more advice from LSAT experts on all the LSAT sections? Come learn from us in a Blueprint LSAT prep course! 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.

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

📈 Applying to Law School with a High LSAT Score and Low GPA

📉 Applying to Law School with a High GPA and Low LSAT Score

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.

So you’ve taken the LSAT. You made it through months of studying, a high-stakes test day, and that excruciating score release waiting period. But now you’re left wondering: Should I retake the LSAT?

Retaking the LSAT can be a smart move—but it’s not always the right one. This guide will walk you through the key factors to consider so you can make a confident, strategic decision.

Should You Retake the LSAT?

Generally speaking, if you aren’t happy with your LSAT score, we advise a retake. 

Target LSAT scores are all relative, of course. For some, a 169 represents a victory and a direct ticket to their dream law school with a scholarship. To others, it can signify the demise of their T6 applications. We strongly recommend checking out your target law schools to get a sense of what score you might need, in light of your GPA and soft factors, to get into your school of choice.

The LSAT is no fun, but in most cases, it’s the single most important element of your application. Thus, if your score precludes your admittance to wherever you’re trying to go, it’s probably wise to lock in again. 

Still not entirely sure if retaking the LSAT is right for you? Ask yourself these questions.

1. How Far Are You From Your Target Score?

This is the big one. If your current LSAT score is just a few points shy of your goal—or the medians of your top-choice law schools—you might be able to close the gap with targeted LSAT prep. However, if your score is already within or above your target range, a retake might not help your chances and could even introduce a risk if your score goes down.

2. How Did Your Score Compare to Your Practice Tests?

If your official score was significantly lower than your practice test averages, an LSAT retake could make sense—especially if something threw you off on test day (e.g., nerves, tech issues, illness, etc.).

Now, if your test day score was in line with your practice average and you still want to improve, you will need to change your LSAT study habits and tweak your study plan.

3. Do You Have the Time and Energy to Prep Again?

Let’s be real: LSAT prep is a grind. Before committing to a retake, make sure you can dedicate focused, consistent study time. Oftentimes, first-time test takers underestimate how much time is needed to really reach their LSAT score potential. Thus, studying longer—and smarter—is an easy fix. 

However, this time around, make sure you can really commit to a consistent study schedule. Burnout is real and trying to squeeze in prep while overwhelmed with other responsibilities can lead to frustration and potentially falling behind on your LSAT prep.

Further Reading

🗓️ Create an LSAT Study Schedule in 3 Steps

🗓️ The Ultimate 6-Month LSAT Study Schedule

4. Will a Higher Score Open More Doors?

Even just a few extra points can boost your chances at:

• Higher-ranked schools
• Merit scholarships
• Greater overall admission leverage

Remember, it’s always better to apply later in the law school admissions cycle with a higher score than earlier with a lower score. 

5. How Many Times Have You Taken the LSAT?

Are you even eligible to take the LSAT again? LSAC allows you to take the LSAT:

• Five times within the current reportable score period (which is the last 5 years)
• A total of seven times over a lifetime

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How To Prepare for an LSAT Retake

So now let’s assume you’ve thought through your options and decided to retake the LSAT. That’s great! Now comes the hard part: creating your LSAT retake strategy. You can’t approach an LSAT retake the same way you approached your first attempt. 

1. Find Out What Went Wrong

This is crucial. If you haven’t diagnosed what went wrong (timing issues, specific question types, test anxiety, poor strategy, etc.), you’re likely to repeat the same mistakes. 

2. Slow Down

Take an untimed practice LSAT exam. Removing time as a factor in your score should highlight which questions and concepts you need fundamental work on, versus which questions you just need more time to execute on. 

3. Review Everything

Make sure you fully review every bit of practice you do, even if you got the answers right. Keep a Lessons Learned Journal of your mistakes and learnings. Sometimes our biggest breakthroughs come from our mistakes! Eventually, you’ll be able to see where your areas of opportunity are and can target those specifically.

4. Practice Realistically

There will be moments when you’ll need to drill questions or do some targeted practice. However, you also need to make time to take timed LSAT practice tests under realistic conditions. The more comfortable you get with the actual LSAT format, the less anxiety you’ll feel on test day and the more confident you’ll be overall. 

5. Stay Consistent

As we’ve already mentioned, not giving yourself enough time to prep for the LSAT can be detrimental to your score. Make more time than you did last time. Make more time than you think necessary. Aim for at least one month or two of timed LSAT practice and full-length practice tests.

The LSAT is a marathon, not a sprint (and definitely not a race). You don’t need to follow someone else’s timeline if it doesn’t fit into your schedule. Create an LSAT study plan that works for you, not the other way around. 

Final Thoughts

We know—you don’t want to go through the LSAT prep process again. It’s difficult, time-consuming, and sometimes a little overwhelming. However, there’s a bright side: You don’t get many do-overs in life, but you do with the LSAT!

If you find yourself in a position where you decide to retake the LSAT, remember that you’re not alone. This will have no bearing on your future career as a lawyer and is not a reflection of how well you will do in law school. Focus on how you can improve your score, give yourself enough time to do it, and before you know it, the LSAT will be a thing of the past! 

And if you need help reaching your full LSAT potential, we’re here to help! Blueprint LSAT students increase their LSAT scores by 15 points on average. Whether you want the flexibility of a Self-Paced Course, prefer to navigate the LSAT with instructors in a Live Course or 170+ Course, or even private LSAT tutoring, we have the study method that fits your learning style.

Get access to tons of LSAT prep resources when you create a free Blueprint LSAT account!

Further Reading

💡 Do Law Schools Average LSAT Scores?: There’s a lot of outdated information out there. We set the record straight on multiple LSAT scores.

💡 What Is a Good LSAT Score Anyway?: 170? 165? 180? Find out what makes a good LSAT score and why the answer is the most lawyer-esque answer ever.