20 Law Schools to Apply to If You Have a Higher GPA and Lower LSAT Score

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:

1. 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 Law 

2. Northwestern 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 Resolution

3. Minnesota 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 Law

4. USC 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 Law

5. Georgia 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, Contracts

6. BYU 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 Law

7. Ohio 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 Law 

8. Texas 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 Writing

9. George 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, Contracts

10. Utah 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 Law

11. Alabama 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, Contracts

12. Kansas 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 Resolution

13. Indiana 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 Law

14. Wayne 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 Law

15. Kentucky 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? Yes

16. Marquette 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 Writing

17. Missouri 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 Resolution

18. Cincinnati 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 Law

19. Nebraska 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 Resolution

20. St. 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