Education calculators

Law School Admissions Calculator

Updated Sep 20, 2026 By Infinity Calculator
Rate Formulas
Your Profile (Scenario A)
Slider and number box stay in sync.
Use the GPA from your LSAC report, not your transcript.
What-If Comparison (Scenario B)
Scenario B uses the same background flags and timing values as Scenario A.
Applicant Background
Applies a positive adjustment of +0.55 log-odds.
Applies a negative adjustment of −0.20 log-odds.
Applies a positive adjustment of +0.12 log-odds.
Applies a positive adjustment of +0.22 log-odds.
+0.28 log-odds, applied only at public schools.
Applies a negative adjustment of −0.35 log-odds.
Timing & Profile (Optional — Improves Accuracy)
Earlier submissions score a timing bonus.
Used if no sent date is provided.
Any interview adds +0.35 log-odds.
Under review status adds +0.10 log-odds.
0–30 years. +0.03 log-odds per year (max +0.30).
0
Schools Shown
0
Safety (>70%)
0
Target (35–70%)
0
Reach (5–35%)
0
Super-Reach (<5%)
Step-by-Step Solution
Acceptance Probability — Top Schools in Current View
Filter Schools
Rank Tier
Category
Showing all schools
Predicted Outcomes by School

School medians are approximate; verify with current ABA 509 disclosures and US News rankings before applying.

Details B − A Probability Split

Introduction

This Law School Admissions Calculator shows your odds of getting into law school. You type in your LSAT score and your CAS GPA. The tool then gives you a predicted accept, waitlist, and reject chance at 122 top law schools.

Each school is sorted into one of four groups: Safety, Target, Reach, or Super-Reach. This helps you build a school list with a good mix of picks.

You can also add details that matter in a real admissions cycle. These include when you send your application, your soft factors tier, early decision, in-state status, veteran status, and years since college. The calculator adjusts your odds for each one.

Want to know how a higher LSAT would change things? Use the Scenario B box to compare two profiles side by side. You will see exactly how many percentage points you gain or lose at every school.

The tool also shows the math step by step, so you can see how each number is figured out. Filter by rank, category, or school name to focus on the schools you care about most.

How to use our Law School Admissions Calculator

Enter your LSAT score, your CAS GPA, and a few facts about your background and timing. The calculator shows your chance of being accepted, waitlisted, or rejected at 122 law schools, plus a step-by-step look at the math.

LSAT Score: Type your score from 120 to 180, or drag the slider. Use your highest official score.

CAS GPA: Enter the GPA from your LSAC report, from 0.00 to 4.33. This may not match your school transcript.

Matriculating Year: Pick the year you plan to start law school. Later years get a small drop for tougher competition.

Show Scenario B columns: Turn this on to compare two profiles side by side in the results table.

Comparison LSAT Score: Enter a second LSAT score, like a retake goal, to see how much your odds change.

Comparison CAS GPA: Enter a second GPA to test how a higher or lower GPA moves your chances.

URM: Check this box if you are an underrepresented minority applicant. It adds a small boost.

International Applicant: Check this if you studied or live outside the United States. It lowers your odds a bit.

Non-Traditional / Career Changer: Check this if you are switching careers or did not apply straight from college.

Military Service / Veteran: Check this if you served in the armed forces. It adds a small boost.

In-State Resident: Check this if you live in the state. It only helps at public law schools.

Character & Fitness Disclosure: Check this if you must report an arrest, academic issue, or other event. It lowers your odds.

Application Sent Date: Pick the day you sent your application. Earlier dates score better.

Application Complete Date: Pick the day your file went complete. This is used if you leave the sent date blank.

Interview Date: Add the date if a school interviewed you. Any interview raises your odds.

Under Review (UR) Date: Add the date your status changed to under review. This adds a small boost.

Application Type: Choose Regular Decision, Early Decision, Priority, or ED converting to RD. Early Decision gives the biggest lift.

Soft Factors Tier: Rate your work, essays, and letters from T1 (exceptional) to T4 (limited).

Years Since Undergrad: Enter how many years since your degree, 0 to 30. More years add a small boost.

Show the worked calculation for: Pick one school to see every step of its math, from median gaps to final odds.

School Name Search: Type part of a school name to find it fast in the results table.

Rank Tier: Limit the table to T14, ranks 1 to 25, 26 to 50, or 51 and up.

Category: Show only Safety, Target, Reach, or Super-Reach schools.

Acceptance % Range: Set a low and high percent to see only schools inside that range.

Calculate and Reset: Click Calculate to update your results, or Reset to start over with the default values.

Law School Admissions: What Really Matters

Law schools look at two numbers first: your LSAT score and your CAS GPA. The LSAT is scored from 120 to 180. The CAS GPA is the GPA that LSAC (Law School Admission Council) figures out from all your college transcripts. It can be higher or lower than the GPA on your school transcript, because LSAC counts every class you ever took, including retakes and some grades your college dropped.

Medians Are the Key

Every law school reports a median LSAT and median GPA each year in an ABA 509 report. The median is the middle number of the class they admitted. Schools care a lot about these numbers because they affect rankings. So being at or above both medians makes you a strong applicant. Being below both makes it much harder, even if the rest of your file is great.

Safety, Target, and Reach Schools

  • Safety means your numbers are well above the school's medians. You will likely get in.
  • Target means your numbers are close to the medians. It could go either way.
  • Reach means your numbers are below the medians. You have a small chance.
  • Super-Reach means your numbers are far below. Getting in would be rare.

A smart application list has a mix of all of these. Apply to at least a few safety schools so you have real choices.

Soft Factors

"Softs" are everything that is not a number: work history, military service, research, leadership, your personal statement, and letters of recommendation. Strong softs can help a borderline file. They rarely fix a big gap in LSAT or GPA, but they do matter at the margins, and they matter more for scholarship money.

Timing Matters a Lot

Most law schools use rolling admissions. That means they read files as they come in and hand out seats as they go. Applying in September or October gives you better odds than applying in February with the same numbers, because more seats are still open. Your application also has to be complete, with LSAT score, CAS report, letters, and essays all in, before anyone reads it.

Other Things That Can Move Your Odds

  • Early Decision is a binding promise to attend. It can boost your chances, but you give up the power to compare scholarship offers.
  • In-state residency helps at public state schools, which often must take a share of home-state students.
  • Interviews. Many schools only interview people they are seriously thinking about.
  • Under Review (UR) status means a real person is reading your file, which is a good sign.
  • Character and Fitness covers arrests, academic discipline, or other issues you must disclose. Hiding them is worse than reporting them.

The Waitlist

Borderline applicants often land on a waitlist instead of getting a yes or no. Waitlists move over the summer as admitted students choose other schools. A letter of continued interest (LOCI) can help you move up.

Remember: all estimates here are based on published medians and general admissions patterns. They are a planning tool, not a promise. Always check each school's current ABA 509 disclosure before you build your final list.

Formulas used

Deltas vs. school medians
\Delta_{LSAT} = \text{LSAT} - \text{LSAT}_{med}, \qquad \Delta_{GPA} = \text{GPA} - \text{GPA}_{med}
Baseline admit probability from school acceptance rate
p_0 = \min\left(0.93,\ \max\left(0.03,\ \left(\frac{\text{AcceptRate}}{100}\right)^{0.45}\right)\right)
Baseline log-odds
z_0 = \ln\!\left(\frac{p_0}{1 - p_0}\right)
Application timing adjustment (month index i, 0 = September)
A_{timing} = \max\left(-0.25,\ \min\left(0.35,\ 0.35 - 0.09\,i\right)\right)
Total log-odds score
z = z_0 + 0.40\,\Delta_{LSAT} + 3.60\,\Delta_{GPA} + A_{profile}
Admit-side probability (logistic)
P = \min\left(0.985,\ \max\left(0.002,\ \frac{1}{1 + e^{-z}}\right)\right)
Waitlist probability
W = 1.2 \cdot P \cdot (1 - P)
Final accept and reject probabilities
A = P\,(1 - W), \qquad R = (1 - P)\,(1 - W)

Frequently asked questions

What is a good LSAT score?

The average LSAT score is about 152. Here is a quick guide:

  • 160+ opens many solid schools.
  • 165+ is strong and helps with scholarship money.
  • 170+ puts you in range for the very top schools.

But "good" depends on your list. A score is good if it is at or above the median at the schools you want.

Is the LSAT or GPA more important for law school?

For most schools, the LSAT matters more. You can raise an LSAT score by studying and retaking the test. Your college GPA is mostly locked in once you graduate.

Both count, though. Schools report both medians to the ABA, so they try to protect both numbers.

Can I get into law school with a low GPA?

Yes. A high LSAT score can pull up a low GPA, especially at schools where you beat the LSAT median by several points.

It also helps to add a short GPA addendum that explains a bad semester, plus strong work experience and letters. But a low GPA will still close some doors at the very top schools.

What is a splitter in law school admissions?

A splitter has a high LSAT score and a low GPA. A reverse splitter is the opposite: high GPA, low LSAT.

Splitters often do best at schools that care most about LSAT medians. Reverse splitters do better at schools that protect GPA. Both types see wide swings in results, so apply to more schools than usual.

Do law schools take your highest LSAT score or the average?

Almost all law schools use your highest score. That is the score they report to the ABA, so that is the one that helps their ranking.

Schools can still see every score on your report. A big jump is fine, but a few low tries may get a short addendum question.

How many times can you take the LSAT?

LSAC limits you to 3 times in one testing year, 5 times in five years, and 7 times in your life. A canceled score still counts toward those limits.

Most people who retake once go up a few points. Only retake if you have time to study differently than last time.

How many law schools should I apply to?

Most applicants apply to about 8 to 12 schools. A good spread is:

  • 2 to 3 safety schools
  • 3 to 5 target schools
  • 2 to 4 reach schools

Splitters and people who need big scholarships should apply to more, since results are harder to predict.

What LSAT score do you need for a T14 law school?

T14 medians sit between about 170 and 175. Yale and Harvard sit near 174 to 175. Schools like Georgetown and UCLA are around 171.

A score at or above the median gives you a real shot. Below 168, a T14 admit usually needs a very high GPA or standout background.

How much does it cost to apply to law school?

Plan for a few hundred dollars at least:

  • LSAT registration: about $238
  • CAS (Credential Assembly Service): about $207
  • Each CAS report sent to a school: about $45
  • School application fees: $0 to $100 each

Many schools waive their fee, and LSAC offers a need-based fee waiver that covers most costs.

How long does it take to hear back from law schools?

Most answers come 1 to 4 months after your file goes complete. Some schools reply in a couple of weeks. Others hold files until spring.

Applying early usually means hearing back sooner, since fewer files are in the pile ahead of you.

What are the chances of getting off a law school waitlist?

It depends on the school and the year. Movement often runs from under 10% at top schools to 30% or more at others.

Most waitlist offers come between May and August, after admitted students pick a school. Send a letter of continued interest and keep your other deposit in place until you get a yes.

Does a higher LSAT score get you more scholarship money?

Yes. Scholarship money follows numbers more than anything else. Beating a school's LSAT and GPA medians is the fastest way to get a big award.

A few extra LSAT points can be worth tens of thousands of dollars over three years. That is why many people retake before applying.

What is the LSAC index score?

The index is a single number some schools build from your LSAT and GPA. Each school uses its own formula, and it usually weighs the LSAT more.

Schools use the index to sort files fast. A high index can get you an early read or an auto-admit at some schools, but essays and softs still decide close cases.

Does your college major matter for law school?

No major is required, and no major gets a bonus. Law schools accept history, science, business, and art majors alike.

What matters is your GPA and LSAT. Pick a major you can do well in and that builds reading, writing, and logic skills.

Should I apply Early Decision to law school?

Only if one school is clearly your first choice and you can afford it. Early Decision is binding, so you must attend if admitted and you must pull your other applications.

It can raise your odds, but you lose the chance to compare scholarship offers. Many students save more money by applying regular decision to several schools.