Highest LSAT Score Possible

The LSAT runs from 120 to 180, so 180 is the highest score on the scale. It is the ceiling — not a number anyone needs — but it is also one of the rarest scores in all of test prep. Here is exactly how rare, and what a top score actually does for your application.

What is the highest LSAT score possible?

The maximum LSAT score is 180. Because the scale stops there, a 180 is the theoretical top — but in practice it is extraordinarily uncommon. LSAC's combined 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026 (combined distribution) distribution puts a 180 at the 99.8th percentile, meaning only about 0.2% of test takers reach it — roughly 2 in every 1,000.

How rare is a top LSAT score?

Percentile ranks from LSAC's official table (Percent Below, tenths), 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026 (combined distribution).

LSAT scorePercentileShare scoring at or above
17598.7%1.3%
17799.3%0.7%
17899.6%0.4%
17999.7%0.3%
18099.8%—

The highest LSAT scores at top law schools

The 75th-percentile LSAT for the schools whose entering classes score highest. Note that none exceeds 177 — so a 180 sits above the top quarter of every ABA law school's class.

SchoolState75th LSATMedian LSAT
Yale UniversityCT177174
The University of ChicagoIL176174
Harvard UniversityMA176174
Stanford UniversityCA176173
Washington University (St. Louis)MO176175
Columbia UniversityNY175173
Cornell UniversityNY175173
Northwestern UniversityIL175173
University of VirginiaVA175173
New York UniversityNY174172

What does a top LSAT score mean for admissions?

A 175 already clears the median LSAT at every one of the 196 ABA-accredited law schools, including Yale. A 180 is therefore far above every school's median — it removes any LSAT-based question about your academic readiness. But admissions are read holistically: a top score strengthens your file, it does not replace the rest of it. The productive question is not "can I get a 180?" but "what score clears the medians at the schools I am targeting?"

Can you get a 180?

A 180 is the ceiling of the scale, so it is achievable in principle — but it demands near-perfect performance across every scored section, and only about 0.2% of test takers land there. For almost everyone, the higher-leverage goal is the score that clears your target schools' medians. Use the percentile chart to see where any score lands, and the school pages to compare against each program's published 25th–75th range.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions

What is the highest LSAT score possible?

The LSAT is scored on a scale from 120 to 180, so 180 is the highest score possible. It is the ceiling of the scale, not a score anyone "needs" — even the most selective law schools admit classes well below it.

What percentile is a 180 LSAT?

A 180 sits at the 99.8th percentile in LSAC's combined 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026 (combined distribution) distribution. That means about 0.2% of test takers score at or above it — roughly 2 in every 1,000.

Has anyone gotten a perfect 180 on the LSAT?

A 180 is the top score on the scale and is reachable, but it is extraordinarily rare: LSAC's percentile table places it at the 99.8th percentile, so only about 0.2% of test takers reach it. Across all 196 ABA-accredited schools, no school's published 75th-percentile LSAT exceeds 177, so a 180 sits above the top quarter of every entering class.

What is the highest LSAT score at the top law schools?

Even at the most selective schools, the 75th-percentile LSAT tops out around 177 — for example, Yale University reports a 75th-percentile LSAT of 177. A 180 therefore lands above the top quarter of every ABA law school's entering class.

Is a 180 LSAT a good score?

It is the highest possible score. A 175 already clears the median LSAT at every ABA-accredited law school, including Yale, so a 180 is far above every school's median. Admissions are still read holistically, but a score this high removes any LSAT-based doubt about your academic readiness.

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