T14 Law Schools: LSAT Scores, GPA & What You Need
The "T14" is the group of roughly fourteen U.S. law schools that have held the top tier of the national rankings for years. It is a shorthand, not an official category — but the schools are consistent enough that applicants treat them as a fixed list. Here are all fourteen with the numbers that actually matter for admission, drawn from ABA Standard 509 disclosures.
All 14 T14 law schools at a glance
Sorted by median LSAT. Medians are the score (or GPA) at which half the class scored higher and half lower — the benchmark you are measured against.
| School | State | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University | CT | 174 | 3.96 | 4.1% |
| The University of Chicago | IL | 174 | 3.97 | 9.7% |
| Harvard University | MA | 174 | 3.96 | 9.2% |
| Stanford University | CA | 173 | 3.96 | 6.1% |
| University of Pennsylvania | PA | 173 | 3.95 | 8.1% |
| Columbia University | NY | 173 | 3.92 | 11.8% |
| University of Virginia | VA | 173 | 3.99 | 10.2% |
| Northwestern University | IL | 173 | 3.96 | 12.3% |
| Cornell University | NY | 173 | 3.92 | 18.2% |
| New York University | NY | 172 | 3.92 | 13.4% |
| Duke University | NC | 171 | 3.91 | 12.9% |
| University of Michigan | MI | 171 | 3.88 | 8.6% |
| University of California-Los Angeles | CA | 171 | 3.95 | 12.1% |
| Georgetown University | DC | 171 | 3.93 | 15.8% |
What LSAT score do you need for a T14?
T14 median LSAT scores range from about 171 (the lowest T14 median) up to 174. That is far above the median of 159 across all 196 ABA-accredited schools — the T14 sits in the top few percentiles of every test administration. To be a median applicant at any T14 school you generally need a 171 or higher, and the most selective schools cluster at 173–174.
A score below a school's median is not disqualifying, but it places you in the weaker half of that school's class, so the safest target is at or above the median of the specific schools you apply to. For the full 25th–75th LSAT range at each T14 school, see the LSAT score range page.
Undergraduate GPA
Median GPAs across the T14 fall between roughly 3.85 and 3.97. As with the LSAT, the relevant number is each school's own median — a GPA at or above a school's median makes you a stronger-than-average candidate there.
How selective is the T14?
Very. Acceptance rates across the fourteen schools run from about 4% to 15%. Combined with the 171+ LSAT floor, the T14 is the most competitive tier of legal education in the country.
Is the T14 the right target for you?
T14 schools offer nationally portable alumni networks and the strongest pipelines into large firms, clerkships, and competitive public-interest roles. But many excellent outcomes come from strong regional and specialty schools outside the T14. Use each school's median LSAT and GPA as your benchmark, weigh location and cost, and remember that "T14" is a label — not the only path to a good legal career.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
What are the T14 law schools?
The T14 is shorthand for the roughly fourteen law schools that have historically held the top tier of the U.S. News & World Report rankings. The group is stable but not an official category — it includes schools such as Yale, Stanford, Chicago, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Penn, Virginia, Michigan, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, UCLA, and Georgetown. All fourteen are listed in the table below with their current LSAT and GPA medians.
What LSAT score do you need for a T14 law school?
T14 median LSAT scores run from about 171 up to 174. To be a median (middle-of-the-pack) applicant at even the lowest-median T14 school you generally need a 171+, and the most selective T14 schools cluster at 173–174. A score below a school's median puts you in the weaker half of that school's class, so aim at or above the median of the specific schools you target.
What GPA do you need for the T14?
Median undergraduate GPAs at the T14 sit between roughly 3.85 and 3.97. As with LSAT, the number that matters is each school's own median — a GPA at or above a school's median makes you a stronger-than-average candidate there.
How hard is it to get into a T14 law school?
Extremely selective. Acceptance rates across the T14 range from about 4% to 15%, and every T14 median LSAT is 171 or higher — well above the national median of 159 across all ABA-accredited schools. Strong numbers on both LSAT and GPA are essentially table stakes.
Does going to a T14 law school matter?
T14 schools offer large, nationally portable alumni networks and the strongest placement into large-firm, clerkship, and competitive public-interest pipelines. But many excellent outcomes come from strong regional and specialty schools outside the T14 — the right school depends on your goals, geography, and finances, not the T14 label alone.
Related pages
- LSAT Score Range by Law School — the 25th–75th LSAT range at all 196 schools, including the T14
- Law Schools Ranked by Median LSAT — every school's median in one list
- What Is a Good LSAT Score? — how 171–174 compares to the national median of 159
- LSAT Percentiles Chart (120–180) — where any score ranks