Law schools almost always say they take a “holistic” or “comprehensive” view of each applicant. While that’s technically true — they’ll read everything in your application — we know what they care most about: your LSAT score and GPA.
Law schools will look at these figures first. These figures will cause them to put your application in one of three piles: the “Almost Certainly Accept,” the “Almost Certainly Reject,” and the “Let’s Wait and Take a Closer Look” piles.
Law schools generally care more about your LSAT score and GPA. This makes some sense if you try to look at it from their perspective. Almost every applicant takes the same LSAT, but applicants go to different schools and take different majors, both with different tendencies to in- or deflate grades.
That said, some law schools seem to care even more about your LSAT score than others. If you are what we law school admissions nerds call a “splitter” — meaning your application will feature a relatively high LSAT score and a relatively low GPA — here are some schools that might give you a strategic advantage. You’ll still want to be within or almost within the 25th and 75th medians. But, based on the school’s posted LSAT and GPA medians, we think a comparatively high LSAT score will carry more weight at these schools:
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Washington University in St. Louis Law
US News Ranking: 20th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 164/172/173 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.43/3.94/4.00 Tuition: $65,229 Applications Open: September 2023 Application Deadline: January 3, 2024 Interview? No Good news comes via: Phone call, email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Clinical Training, Dispute Resolution, Constitutional Law, Business Law, Criminal Law, Trial Advocacy
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Boston University Law
US News Ranking: 27th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 164/170/171 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.57/3.84/3.91 Tuition: $62,532 Applications Open: September 1, 2023 Application Deadline: April 1, 2024 Interview? No Good news comes via: Phone call, snail mail Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Health Care Law, Intellectual Property Law, Tax Law, Business Law, Constitutional Law, International Law
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Emory Law
US News Ranking: 35th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 161/168/169 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.43/3.80/3.90 Tuition: $64,300 Applications Open: September 2023 Application Deadline: March 15, 2024 Interview? No Good news comes via: Snail mail Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Contracts, Business Law, Constitutional Law, Health Care Law, Intellectual Property Law
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UC Irvine Law
US News Ranking: 35th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 162/167/168 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.51/3.72/3.83 Tuition (in-state): $54,183 Tuition (out-of-state): $64,298 Applications Open: September 1, 2023 Application Deadline: March 31, 2024 Interview? No Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Clinical Training, Tax Law, Legal Writing, Intellectual Property Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, International Law, Environmental Law, Contracts, Health Care Law
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Wisconsin Law
US News Ranking: 40th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 157/165/167 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.41/3.73/3.85 Tuition (in-state): $33,158 Tuition (out-of-state): $51,854 Applications Open: September 1, 2023 Application Deadline: April 1, 2024 Interview? Yes, but not required for admission Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Contracts, Constitutional Law, Tax Law, Criminal Law
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SMU Law
US News Ranking: 45th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 160/164/165 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.35/3.71/3.87 Tuition: $61,058 Applications Open: November 2023 Application Deadline: March 1, 2024 Interview? No Good news comes via: Phone call, snail mail, status checker Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Health Care Law, Criminal Law, International Law
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Univ. of Washington Law
US News Ranking: 49th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 160/164/166 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.50/3.70/3.83 Tuition (in-state): $41,688 Tuition (out-of-state): $53,454 Applications Open: October 1, 2023 Application Deadline: March 15, 2024 Interview? No Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Legal Writing, Environmental Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property Law, Clinical Training, Dispute Resolution, Tax Law, International Law
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Temple Law
US News Ranking: 54th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 160/163/165 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.38/3.63/3.74 Tuition (in-state): $29,587 Tuition (out-of-state): $44,727 Interview? No Good news comes via: Status checker Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Trial Advocacy, International Law, Health Care Law, Legal Writing, Taax Law, Contracts, Intellectual Property Law
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Arizona Law
US News Ranking: 54th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 160/163/165 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.38/3.63/3.74 Tuition (in-state): $26,167 Tuition (out-of-state): $30,667 Interview? No Application Deadline: July 15, 2024 Good news comes via: Status checker Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Trial Advocacy, International Law, Health Care Law, Legal Writing, Taax Law, Contracts, Intellectual Property Law
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Colorado Law
US News Ranking: 56th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 159/164/166 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.45/3.72/3.83 Tuition (in-state): $33,427 Tuition (out-of-state): $40,609 Interview? No Applications Open: October 2023 Application Deadline: April 1, 2024 Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Environmental Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property Law, Business Law
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UC Law, San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings)
US News Ranking: 60th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 157/160/163 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.39/3.59/3.75 Tuition (in-state): $46,034 Tuition (out-of-state): $52,454 Interview? Yes, but not required for admission Applications Open: September 1, 2023 Application Deadline: April 15, 2024 Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Dispute Resolution Health Care Law, Environmental Law, Tax Law, Clinical Training, Trial Advocacy, International Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Intellectual Property Law, Business Law, Criminal Law
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UC Davis Law
US News Ranking: 60th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 163/165/166 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.45/3.70/3.84 Tuition (in-state): $53,086 Tuition (out-of-state): $65,087 Interview? No Applications Open: September 1, 2023 Application Deadline: March 15, 2024 Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Environmental Law, Business Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Law, Tax Law, Dispute Resolution, Contracts, Health Care Law, Trail Advocacy
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Richmond Law
US News Ranking: 60th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 158/163/165 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.33/3.75/3.87 Tuition: $51,510 Interview? No Applications Open: September 15, 2023 Application Deadline: March 1, 2024 Good news comes via: Phone call, snail mail, status checker Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Intellectual Property Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Tax Law
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Cardozo Law
US News Ranking: 69th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 159/164/166 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.46/3.76/3.86 Tuition: $67,792 Interview? No Applications Open: September 2023 Application Deadline: April 1, 2024 Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property Law, Criminal Law, Tax Law, Constitutional Law
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Tulane Law
US News Ranking: 71st (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 157/161/163 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.42/3.64/3.76 Tuition: $64,868 Interview? No Applications Open: September 15, 2023 Application Deadline: March 1, 2024 Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Environmental Law, Business Law, International Law, Dispute Resolution, Criminal Law, Clinical Training, Contracts, Tax Law
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Connecticut Law
US News Ranking: 71st (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 156/160/162 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.38/3.64/3.79 Tuition (in-state): $31,416 Tuition (out-of-state): $62,458 Interview? No Applications Open: September 2023 Application Deadline: April 30, 2024 Good news comes via: ? Merit-based aid? Yes
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Case Western Reserve Law
US News Ranking: 80th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 153/160/162 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.38/3.66/3.82 Tuition: $58,808 Interview? ? Applications Open: September 1, 2023 Application Deadline: April 1, 2024 Good news comes via: ? Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: International Law, Health Care Law, Environmental Law, Legal Writing, Trial Advocacy
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Penn State Law
US News Ranking: 80th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 156/162/163 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.39/3.72/3.86 Tuition: $53,334 Interview? ? Applications Open: October 15, 2023 Application Deadline: March 1, 2024 Good news comes via: Status checker, snail mail Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Environmental Law
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Denver Law
US News Ranking: 80th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 156/160/162 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.27/3.60/3.75 Tuition: $56,942 Interview? ? Applications Open: September 1, 2023 Application Deadline: March 1, 2024 Good news comes via: Email Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Trial Advocacy, Clinical Training, Legal Writing, Environmental Law, Criminal Law, International Law, Dispute Resolution, Tax Law
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Lewis & Clark Law
US News Ranking: 84th (tie) Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 158/161/164 Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.25/3.52/3.69 Tuition: $53,666 Interview? ? Applications Open: September 15, 2023 Application Deadline: March 15, 2024 Good news comes via: ? Merit-based aid? Yes Specialties: Environmental Law, Legal Writing