Back in 2017, a year after the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law dipped its toes in, a handful of law schools decided to try something new: accepting the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) as an alternative to the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Since the GRE is offered more often and used more widely than the LSAT, these schools hoped that allowing it might attract a bigger, more diverse group of applicants. Maybe some grad school hopefuls would even throw in a law school application while they were at it.
The experiment worked, and soon, more law schools jumped on board. Fast forward to today, and roughly 70 law schools in the U.S. and abroad now accept the GRE. Educational Testing Service (ETS), the nonprofit behind the GRE, keeps an updated list online of all the law schools that take it.
One big reason law schools warmed up to the GRE so quickly? A validity study by ETS that tracked the academic performance of students at 21 different law schools—all of whom had applied with their GRE scores. The nationwide study found that GRE scores predicted law school success just as well as LSAT scores, giving schools solid proof that the GRE measures skills that matter in the classroom.
Both the LSAT and GRE are tough standardized tests, but they’re different in key ways—format, content, and how often they’re offered. If you’re thinking of using the GRE for law school, keep these tips in mind:
- Decide between the GRE or LSAT—don’t take both.
- Compare GRE and LSAT scores by percentile.
- When unsure, ask law schools directly.
Pick One: GRE or LSAT—Not Both
Some applicants treat the GRE as a backup plan in case their LSAT score isn’t great. But here’s the catch: most law schools that get both scores from the same applicant will focus more on the LSAT.
Why? Because law school rankings and stats rely heavily on reported LSAT scores, and schools have to report the highest score they get from each admitted student. That’s why they’re totally fine with multiple LSAT attempts.
Law schools do look at applicants holistically, so a strong GRE score won’t be ignored just because of a weaker LSAT. But admitting someone with a low LSAT score can drag down the school’s median, which might hurt its rankings.
To avoid this mess, choose between the GRE and LSAT before sitting for either test. If you’re torn, try free online practice tests for both to see which fits you better.
Match GRE Scores to LSAT Scores by Percentile
For decades, law schools have collected tons of data on how LSAT scores relate to admissions odds. But since the GRE is still new in this world—and fewer applicants use it—there’s not much data linking GRE scores to acceptance rates.
As a general rule, schools compare GRE and LSAT scores by percentile. So if your GRE score lands in the 90th percentile, treat it like a 90th-percentile LSAT score (around 165). ETS even has a tool to convert GRE scores into LSAT equivalents.
That said, law schools don’t all weigh GRE scores the same way. The GRE has three scored sections: analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. Some schools might care more about certain sections, while others focus on the total score.
For example, one school might think writing matters more for law school than math, while another sees both as important for today’s legal field.
With the LSAT, though, schools only look at the overall score.
Still Confused? Ask the Law Schools
Since the GRE is still pretty new for law schools, solid info online can be hard to find. Most schools that accept it do so across the board, but some only allow it in special cases. Policies can also change yearly.