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 a bit more about GPAs than others. If you are what we law school admissions nerds call a “reverse-splitter” — meaning your application will feature a relatively high GPA and a relatively low LSAT score — 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 GPA will carry more weight at these schools:
Duke Law
US News Ranking: 5th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 168/170/171
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.73/3.85/3.94
Tuition: $72,632
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: February 15, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Criminal Law, IP Law, Tax LawNorthwestern Law
US News Ranking: 10th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 166/171/172
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.63/3.89/3.95
Tuition: $72,212
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: February 15, 2024
Interview? Yes, but not required for admission
Good news comes via: Status checker
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Tax Law, Clinical Training, Dispute ResolutionMinnesota Law
US News Ranking: 16th (tie)
Median LSAT (50th): 168
Median GPA (50th): 3.83
Tuition (in-state): $47,754
Tuition (out-of-state): $56,946
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: June 1, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Phone call, email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Contracts, Tax Law, International Law, Constitutional LawUSC Law
US News Ranking: 16th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 165/168/169
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.76/3.87/3.94
Tuition: $73,998
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: April 1, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Business Law, Contracts, Environmental Law, Tax LawGeorgia Law
US News Ranking: 20th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 156/168/169
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.56/3.87/3.94
Tuition (in-state): $18,994
Tuition (out-of-state): $37,752
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: June 1, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Trial Advocacy, International Law, Business Law, ContractsBYU Law
US News Ranking: 22nd (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 165/168/171
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.66/3.92/3.96
Tuition (LDS): $14,636
Tuition (non-LDS): $29,272
Applications Open: September 4, 2023
Application Deadline: May 1, 2024
Interview? Yes
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Business LawOhio State Law
US News Ranking: 22nd (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 159/164/166
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.58/3.86/3.95
Tuition (in-state): $33,361
Tuition (out-of-state): $48,613
Applications Open: September 15, 2023
Application Deadline: July 1, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Dispute Resolution, Criminal Law, Constitutional LawTexas A&M Law
US News Ranking: 29th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 158/164/166
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.54/3.93/3.98
Tuition (in-state): $32,634
Tuition (out-of-state): $48,618
Applications Open: August 7, 2023
Application Deadline: May 31, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property Law, Environmental Law, Legal WritingGeorge Mason Law
US News Ranking: 32nd (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 158/166/167
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.45/3.83/3.93
Tuition (in-state): $26,569
Tuition (out-of-state): $42,417
Applications Open: September 17, 2023
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Interview? Yes, but not required for admission
Good news comes via: Phone call, email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Intellectual Property Law, ContractsUtah Law
US News Ranking: 32nd (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 158/163/164
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.71/3.87/3.96
Tuition (in-state): $33,634
Tuition (out-of-state): $43,598
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: March 10, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Phone call, email, snail mail
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Environmental Law, Criminal Law, Health Care Law, Intellectual Property LawAlabama Law
US News Ranking: 35th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 159/166/168
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.64/3.95/4.00
Tuition (in-state): $24,390
Tuition (out-of-state): $44,780
Applications Open: September 2023
Application Deadline: July 15, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Phone call
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Constitutional Law, ContractsKansas Law
US News Ranking: 40th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 153/158/160
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.41/3.73/3.85
Tuition (in-state): $22,769
Tuition (out-of-state): $28,804
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
Interview? ?
Good news comes via: ?
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Dispute ResolutionIndiana Law
US News Ranking: 45th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 158/164/165
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.40/3.81/3.92
Tuition (in-state): $38,185
Tuition (out-of-state): $59,435
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: July 31, 2024
Interview? No
Good news comes via: Status checker, email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Tax Law, International Law, Environmental Law, Business law, Intellectual Property Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal LawWayne State Law
US News Ranking: 56th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 154/161/163
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.38/3.80/3.89
Tuition (in-state): $36,503
Tuition (out-of-state): $39,839
Interview? ?
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: August 1, 2024
Good news comes via: ?
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Health Care LawKentucky Law
US News Ranking: 60th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 155/157/160
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.40/3.68/3.84
Tuition (in-state): $25,748
Tuition (out-of-state): $51,380
Interview? No
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: April 15, 2024
Good news comes via: Email
Merit-based aid? YesMarquette Law
US News Ranking: 71st (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 153/155/158
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.38/3.63/3.76
Tuition: $49,710
Interview? No
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: April 1, 2024
Good news comes via: Email, snail mail
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Legal WritingMissouri Law
US News Ranking: 71st (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 156/160/162
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.42/3.70/3.86
Tuition (in-state): $24,289
Tuition (out-of-state): $30,289
Interview? ?
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: March 15, 2024
Good news comes via: ?
Merit-based aid? Yes, January 15, 2024 deadline
Specialties: Dispute ResolutionCincinnati Law
US News Ranking: 84th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 156/158/161
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.52/3.73/3.91
Tuition: $49,038
Interview? No
Applications Open: September 2023
Application Deadline: March 15, 2024
Good news comes via: Email
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Criminal LawNebraska Law
US News Ranking: 89th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 155/158/161
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.41/3.72/3.91
Tuition: $46,574
Interview? No
Applications Open: September 1, 2023
Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
Good news comes via: Phone call
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Dispute ResolutionSt. Thomas Law
US News Ranking: 96th (tie)
Median LSAT (25th/50th/75th): 152/156/159
Median GPA (25th/50th/75th): 3.32/3.63/3.77
Tuition: $46,740
Interview? ?
Applications Open: September 2023
Application Deadline: August 1, 2024
Good news comes via: ?
Merit-based aid? Yes
Specialties: Clinical Training