Here are some stats from a recent Businessweek article on the declining LSAT scores at U.S. law schools:
- Since 2010, 95% of the 196 U.S. law schools (those at least partially accredited by the ABA) lowered their standards for students in the bottom quartile of students (at the 25th percentile).
- Emory University saw the largest drop in LSAT scores for 25th percentile students with a 5% drop (nine fewer points) from 2010 to 2013.
- Across all schools examined by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), LSAT scores for this bottom quartile dropped an average of three points.
- The median LSAT score across all schools declined 1.7 points since 2010.
- First-year enrollment in ABA law schools is down 28% since 2010. (At Emory, enrollment declined 21% in this time period.)
According to the BW article, “LSAT scores matter because they tend to correlate closely with scores on one section of the bar exam, so when schools admit lower-scoring students on the former test, they risk producing more graduates who have a hard time passing the bar.”
ABA-Accredited Law Schools that Saw the Greatest Drop in Scores among the 25th Percentile:
Related Resources:
• How I Wrote a Personal Statement that Got Me Into Harvard Law School
• 5 Things Law Schools Want To See In Applicants
• At the Nexus of Business & Law: Penn/Wharton’s JD/MBA