Best 15 law schools that don’t require LSAT in 2023 – ranked

Infamous for being one of the trickiest entrance exams in U.S. higher education, the LSAT is dreaded by many aspiring lawyers.

The exam’s difficulty, as well as its inconvenience (the LSAT costs $222 and is only administered 4 times a year), could act as a discouraging factor for many law-school hopefuls.

Fortunately, an increasing number of universities, including prestigious T14 law schools (law school parlance for “Top 14,” an unofficial designation), are opting for more holistic admissions criteria that doesn’t center around a single standardized test result. As such, many schools are also dropping the LSAT requirement and allowing applicants to take the GRE instead (although this remains an unpopular route, and how much it actually helps underrepresented students is questionable).

In this article, we reveal the best-value law schools without LSAT and give some practical advice on whether you should skip the exam in favor of the GRE.

We also touch on how to make your law school application shine if you do decide to forego the LSAT and highlight some key differences between the LSAT and the GRE.

Is the LSAT required for law school?

Many law schools require the LSAT. Many – but not all. Far from it, a growing number of top universities are dropping the LSAT requirement.

According to a report by the ETS, the organization behind the GRE, more than half of all law schools now accept the GRE in place of the LSAT. These colleges include world-renowned T14 law schools like Harvard Law and Stanford.

Note that the no-LSAT law schools will still require you to take some entrance exam, usually the GRE. More rarely, some colleges may accept the GMAT – especially if your doctorate program combines legal studies with an MBA.

What is the LSAT?

The LSAT, or Law School Admission Test, is a standardized exam for law school admissions in the US and Canada. It evaluates skills like logical reasoning and reading comprehension through multiple-choice questions and a writing sample.

Developed in 1947 by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), it has historically been a key admissions factor.

The test comprises 4 separate 35-minute sections that assess candidates’ logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehension; 1 of these sections is “experimental” and unscored. There is also an unscored writing sample that is sent to the law schools you apply to.

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The best-value law schools that don’t require LSAT

Below is a list of the 15 best LSAT-optional law schools. We have ranked them according to our signature methodology, which evaluates the return on investment (ROI) of specific degrees and colleges. Note that these schools still require some standardized test instead – notably the GRE.

To rank a degree’s value, we calculate an Economic Score (the lower the better). Degrees that cost relatively little and lead to high earnings 4 years after graduation are rewarded. All data is taken exclusively from official government sources – namely IPEDS and College Scorecard. For acceptance rates and GRE numbers, we used colleges’ official ABA 509 disclosures.

Our ranking system helps ensure you get the best economic value out of your education, mitigating toxic student debt.

According to our economic criteria, the top 3 law schools without LSAT are the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Columbia.

List of law schools that don’t require LSAT or GRE

Unfortunately, there are none.

All law schools require some standardized test for admission. This is a requirement for accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Currently, however, some colleges do allow LSAT exemptions for students who meet specific criteria – like an exceptional GPA or relevant professional experience. Such exemptions are usually granted to high-achieving undergrads from the same university as the law school.

Law schools without LSAT or GRE are therefore a bit of a myth, unless you’re a truly outstanding student.

» Read:  Discover America’s cheapest law schools

Why top law schools are dropping the LSAT requirement

Ostensibly, the main reason law schools give for dropping the LSAT requirement is reducing barriers to entry for underprivileged students. Colleges believe that accepting the GRE as an alternative will allow them to diversify their applicant pool.

While the GRE and the LSAT both cost roughly the same amount, the GRE has several advantages for students with limited resources.

• First, it can be taken at any time, whereas the LSAT is only administered 4 times a year – and slots fill up quickly.
• Second, the GRE can be used for many other types of grad school. This means that students who are wavering between applying for law school and, say, a graduate-level public health program do not have to pay for 2 different expensive tests.

» Read more: Where are all the female lawyers?

In addition, some law schools are beginning to doubt whether the LSAT is truly a good predictor of academic success in the first years of law school. Many have reached the conclusion that the GRE does an equally good job.

The University of Arizona, the first college to accept the GRE for law school, followed students who had been admitted with the GRE, and found that it was just as good at predicting student success as the LSAT.

Independent reviews came to similar conclusions. When Harvard Law School began accepting the GRE, many other colleges followed suit.

Is it wise to skip the LSAT?

While some colleges have embraced the LSAT, others are more hesitant to do away with the LSAT requirement for law schools. If you are determined to get a JD, opting for the GRE over the LSAT could limit your options.

According to a 2017 survey by Kaplan, a test prep company, many law school admissions officers are not convinced by studies lauding the merits of the GRE, and they prefer to wait for more research. 44% were disinclined to consider accepting the GRE.

Likewise, some sources are convinced that LSAT scores are preferred over the GRE by law schools, with some admissions officers stating that those who skip the LSAT may not get as good scholarships.

While this may not be true across the board, law school applicants may not want to take their chances. The vast majority of prospective law students still choose to take the LSAT.

Making your college application shine without the LSAT

If you choose to take the GRE instead of the LSAT, you will want to make sure your application shines beyond your test scores.

Remember that colleges prefer to think of your application as a holistic overview of your experience prior to law school (the good news – they generally don’t care what you majored in).

Your GPA, letters of recommendation, and life experience are just as important as standardized test scores – if not more so. Below are the most important parts of any law school application.

Some law schools may want you to send certain components of your application via a CAS report. This report packages your GPA, standardized test scores, and other application components in a format that’s convenient for law schools. Although CAS reports are run by LSAC, the company that makes the LSAT, GRE-takers may still have to submit one.

There is a CAS subscription fee of $200, then every individual report costs $45.

GRE vs LSAT

In the end, it’s up to you whether to take the LSAT or the GRE. Research the admissions requirements of your dream schools and play to your strengths.

How hard is the LSAT vs GRE?

No matter your skillset, the LSAT is a very challenging test. And the GRE is too. Although the general consensus is that the LSAT is harder, in truth it depends on the individual.

For example, if you have a sharp, analytical mind that is quick to grasp the essence of an argument – but you’re terrible with numbers – the LSAT may be the easier option, as it doesn’t contain math.

Conversely, if you’re confounded by the LSAT’s “logic games”, you may want to try your hand at the GRE and opt for no LSAT law schools.

Final thoughts

If you want to go to law school, you’re probably going to have to take a standardized test – whether it’s the LSAT or the GRE.

A law school without LSAT could be a smart choice for a number of reasons: you’re applying to non-law grad schools too, you can’t register for the LSAT on time due to limited spots, or you feel you would get a better score on the GRE. Nevertheless, keep in mind that some colleges may prefer candidates who took the LSAT.

No matter your case, rest assured that GRE-friendly law schools are in no way inferior. And at the end of the day, your decision on college should be based on factors like value for money rather than prestige.