LSAC publishes score percentiles for each scaled score measured over a three year period (your scaled score is the one people mean when they say “my LSAT score is __.” It’s some number between 120-180, but hopefully, for you, it will be closer to 180). These percentile scores can help you assess your strength by showing you roughly how rare each score is. The percentile numbers in the chart below indicate the percentage of people that scored below that score in that three years measured. So for 165, for example, 89.8% of takers got below that score in the period 2019-2020.
Without further ado, here is the chart:
| Score | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 180 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| 179 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| 178 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| 177 | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| 176 | 99.6 | 99.8 |
| 175 | 99.5 | 99.6 |
| 174 | 99.2 | 99.4 |
| 173 | 98.8 | 99.1 |
| 172 | 98.4 | 98.7 |
| 171 | 97.8 | 98.2 |
| 170 | 97.1 | 97.6 |
| 169 | 95.9 | 96.8 |
| 168 | 94.8 | 95.4 |
| 167 | 93.3 | 94.5 |
| 166 | 91.5 | 92.9 |
| 165 | 89.8 | 91.5 |
| 164 | 87.4 | 89.5 |
| 163 | 85 | 87.2 |
| 162 | 82.7 | 84.9 |
| 161 | 80.1 | 82.3 |
| 160 | 77 | 79.2 |
| 159 | 73.6 | 76.1 |
| 158 | 70.4 | 73.2 |
| 157 | 66.5 | 69.6 |
| 156 | 62.9 | 66.3 |
| 155 | 59.2 | 62.3 |
| 154 | 55.5 | 58.4 |
| 153 | 51.7 | 54.4 |
| 152 | 47.7 | 50.8 |
| 151 | 44 | 47 |
| 150 | 39.7 | 43.4 |
| 149 | 36.3 | 39.4 |
| 148 | 32.8 | 36.2 |
| 147 | 29.1 | 32.4 |
| 146 | 26 | 29 |
| 145 | 22.9 | 25.4 |
| 144 | 20 | 22.8 |
| 143 | 17.4 | 20 |
| 142 | 14.8 | 17.1 |
| 141 | 12.6 | 15 |
| 140 | 10.8 | 12.8 |
| 139 | 9 | 11 |
| 138 | 7.5 | 9.2 |
| 137 | 6.4 | 7.8 |
| 136 | 4.9 | 6.7 |
| 135 | 4.2 | 5.2 |
| 134 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
| 133 | 3 | 3.8 |
| 132 | 2.4 | 3.1 |
| 131 | 2 | 2.5 |
| 130 | 1.6 | 2 |
| 129 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| 128 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| 127 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| 126 | 0.8 | 1 |
| 125 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| 124 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| 123 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 122 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| 121 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 120 | 0 | 0 |
Looking at LSAT percentile scores gives you a good way to understand why high scorers are in demand at law schools. 170-180 seems like a big range of numbers but, if you look below at the chart, you see that a tiny fraction of the total test-takers hit that score range- only 2.8% of takers in the year of LSAT takers in the last three years did so. The best law schools are trying to pull applicants mostly from this tiny batch of scorers at the top.
Past LSAT Score Percentiles
| Scaled Score | 2005–2008 | 2006–2009 | 2007–2010 | 2008–2011 | 2009–2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180 | 99.9 | 99.9 | 99.9 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| 179 | 99.9 | 99.9 | 99.9 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| 178 | 99.8 | 99.8 | 99.9 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| 177 | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.8 | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| 176 | 99.6 | 99.6 | 99.6 | 99.6 | 99.7 |
| 175 | 99.5 | 99.5 | 99.4 | 99.4 | 99.5 |
| 174 | 99.3 | 99.2 | 99.2 | 99.2 | 99.3 |
| 173 | 99.0 | 99.0 | 99.0 | 99.0 | 98.9 |
| 172 | 98.6 | 98.6 | 98.6 | 98.6 | 98.6 |
| 171 | 98.1 | 98.1 | 98.0 | 98.0 | 98.0 |
| 170 | 97.5 | 97.5 | 97.4 | 97.3 | 97.2 |
| 169 | 96.8 | 96.8 | 96.7 | 96.6 | 96.5 |
| 168 | 96.0 | 96.1 | 95.9 | 95.7 | 95.6 |
| 167 | 95.1 | 94.9 | 94.6 | 94.2 | 94.2 |
| 166 | 93.4 | 93.4 | 93.2 | 93.1 | 92.9 |
| 165 | 92.2 | 92.1 | 92.0 | 91.5 | 91.4 |
| 164 | 90.7 | 90.4 | 90.0 | 89.7 | 89.5 |
| 163 | 88.5 | 88.5 | 88.1 | 87.6 | 87.4 |
| 162 | 86.3 | 86.3 | 85.9 | 85.5 | 85.1 |
| 161 | 84.0 | 83.9 | 83.4 | 82.9 | 82.5 |
| 160 | 81.5 | 81.0 | 80.4 | 79.9 | 79.9 |
| 159 | 78.0 | 78.0 | 77.6 | 77.4 | 76.9 |
| 158 | 75.1 | 75.1 | 74.6 | 74.1 | 73.6 |
| 157 | 72.0 | 71.6 | 70.9 | 70.4 | 70.3 |
| 156 | 68.3 | 67.9 | 67.4 | 66.9 | 66.7 |
| 155 | 64.2 | 64.2 | 63.9 | 63.7 | 63.3 |
| 154 | 60.0 | 60.0 | 59.7 | 59.8 | 59.8 |
| 153 | 56.1 | 55.8 | 55.6 | 55.6 | 55.6 |
| 152 | 52.9 | 52.6 | 52.2 | 51.7 | 51.6 |
| 151 | 48.6 | 48.3 | 48.1 | 47.7 | 47.9 |
| 150 | 44.4 | 44.1 | 44.3 | 44.2 | 44.4 |
| 149 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.3 | 40.3 | 40.2 |
| 148 | 36.3 | 36.3 | 36.3 | 36.3 | 36.6 |
| 147 | 32.9 | 32.5 | 33.0 | 33.1 | 33.6 |
| 146 | 29.6 | 29.6 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 29.9 |
| 145 | 26.2 | 25.8 | 26.1 | 26.3 | 26.7 |
| 144 | 23.1 | 22.8 | 22.9 | 23.1 | 23.6 |
| 143 | 20.2 | 20.3 | 20.5 | 20.4 | 20.6 |
| 142 | 17.5 | 17.4 | 17.8 | 17.9 | 18.3 |
| 141 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 15.2 | 15.3 | 15.7 |
| 140 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.7 |
| 139 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.5 | 11.7 |
| 138 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 9.9 |
| 137 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.5 |
| 136 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 7.0 |
| 135 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 6.0 |
| 134 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| 133 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| 132 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| 131 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| 130 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 |
| 129 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| 128 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| 127 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| 126 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| 125 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 124 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| 123 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| 122 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| 121 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 120 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
As you get in the very best scores, you see that these scores are scarce. My score of 177, for example, put me in the top 0.2 percent of scorers for that period (2008-2011).
You might also have noticed that the numbers are shifting a little. In most areas of the chart, a greater percentage of LSAT takers are achieving higher numbers, possibly because test takers are putting in more effort preparing with each subsequent year.
Remember that the LSAT is not actually a curved test. There doesn’t have to be any set percentage of people getting any given score. This means that everyone taking it could theoretically get above a 150 if only strong takers took a specific test administration. Instead of being curved, the LSAT is actually statistically equated. In plain English, that means they try to make a given score just as challenging to get on each test. So if people are better prepared than in previous years, the percentiles will change a little bit.
We here at LSI implore you not to get too hung up on the numbers and stats. The most important thing is that you get the highest score that you can achieve. Remember that you will be preparing more than the vast majority of takers by following a rigorous prep schedule, which increases your chances of being at the top of this chart. See our recommended schedule here to get an idea of what it looks like to undertake the sort of rigorous prep I did to earn a 177.
Best of luck, and follow us on Twitter @onlawschool for more stats and LSAT prep tips.
