Do Law Schools Prefer the LSAT or the GRE?
Updated in 2024 for the new gre
Law school admissions officers often publicly claim to have no preference between the LSAT and the GRE, but the numbers tell a different story: the vast majority of successful law school applicants take the LSAT.
The reality is that, for now, schools prefer to see an excellent LSAT score over an excellent GRE score for two reasons:
The LSAT is a better indication of how a student will fare at law school, and
The LSAT is a powerful component of law school rankings.
Despite these factors, the GRE might be the better option for non-traditional candidates who can submit an impressive application without an LSAT score. In addition, it’s possible that the GRE will achieve equal footing with the LSAT in future admissions cycles.
LSAT vs. GRE: which test will get you into law school?
Right off the bat, there’s some bad news for fans of the GRE: fewer than 10% of admitted students to top law schools submit a GRE score but not an LSAT score.
As of 2024, many law schools still don’t accept the GRE at all. Although the number of GRE-friendly law schools grows each year, you may need to take the LSAT to apply to your target program. See this list to find out which law schools accept the GRE.
Why are so few students admitted to law school with a GRE score? In short, law schools still seem to prefer the LSAT, for all sorts of reasons.
The LSAT is a better predictor of success than the GRE
Law schools want to admit candidates who are going to succeed in their programs, graduate with flying colors, and continue on to lucrative and fulfilling careers. But how can schools know that a certain applicant has the academic chops to succeed?
To apply to law school, candidates submit their undergraduate GPA -- but there is no guarantee that a 3.0 or 4.0 from one university is equivalent to the same GPA from another. Similarly, students submit essays as part of their applications, but those could reflect the writing skills of an editor or admissions consultant, not necessarily the student herself.
So, schools rely on LSAT scores as an equalizing force to ensure that students have the skills to do well in their law program – and there is really, really good data showing that a good LSAT score accurately predicts success in law school. The GRE is such a new option for law school admissions that there simply isn’t a similar body of evidence linking GRE scores to law school success.
Of course, as more GRE applicants are accepted, law schools will collect the data needed to evaluate the GRE’s usefulness. But for now, admissions officials are much more comfortable with the LSAT’s ability to predict student success in law school, so the LSAT remains the preferred option for most applicants.
LSAT vs. GRE and the law school rankings game
If test scores were ONLY used to predict your success at law school, then a decent, “good enough” LSAT score would check that box, and law school admissions committees would focus on other pieces of a candidate’s application. Factors that are frankly more interesting -- a student’s work experience or application essays, for example -- would play a larger role in the admissions process.
Unfortunately, the LSAT is also used to determine a school’s ranking in comparison to other law programs. This has created an “arms race” in which students need ever-higher LSAT scores to gain admittance to top law schools.
Average GRE scores are a small component of some law school rankings schemes, but because so few students apply with the GRE, the LSAT remains a much more powerful element in the rankings.
This changes the way that law schools look at the LSAT vs. the GRE. If you can provide an excellent LSAT score that will help the school’s ranking, then the LSAT will significantly boost your odds of admission. The same can’t be said of an excellent GRE score – even a top score won’t really affect the rankings game much.
On the flip side, a disappointing LSAT score is a huge liability to your law school application, while a mediocre GRE score might not be as damaging. Just remember that a mediocre GRE score must be paired with an incredibly strong profile in order to stand a chance at top law schools.
So, what kind of student could benefit from applying with a GRE score?
The GRE offers a path for non-traditional candidates
Law schools have been pushing to accept GRE scores because they want a broader pool of students to feel comfortable applying to law school.
Let’s be clear: if you can crush the LSAT, you should do so regardless of any other factors in your application. However, if the LSAT is a major hurdle for you, the GRE might be a good option if you fit into one or more of the following categories:
You are already in a graduate program for which you took the GRE.
You are from an underrepresented demographic.
You have a fascinating background in a technical, STEM-based field (and have a compelling reason to get a law degree).
GRE vs. LSAT: The future of law school admissions
Taking the GRE instead of the LSAT to apply to law school is still a relatively new development – the first law school only started accepting GRE scores in 2016. By 2024, just over half of all ABA-accredited law schools have begun to accept the GRE, even if they have only admitted a tiny handful of GRE students.
Law school admissions seem to be trending toward further acceptance of the GRE, and it’s likely that this trend will continue in the future.
Will the GRE ever be on equal footing with the LSAT in law school admissions? It’s hard to say. But over the next few years, it’s almost certain that the GRE will gain some ground and become a more viable path for students to get into top law schools.
For now, if you can do well on the LSAT there’s little reason to hesitate: you should definitely apply with the LSAT instead of the GRE. If you can’t ace the LSAT, consider the other aspects of your profile to see whether you have a shot by submitting a GRE score.
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