3.80 GPA and 171 LSAT: Where Do I Get In?
Admissions offices read your GPA and LSAT as a pair, so here they are together. With a 3.80 GPA and a 171 LSAT (which sits above about the 94th percentile), you clear both published medians at 145 of the 196 ABA schools in our data.
Your profile type
Your LSAT is doing the heavy lifting here: it clears 184 school medians while your GPA clears 145. That is a classic splitter profile, and splitter-friendly schools reward it.
Target schools (both medians cleared, most selective first)
| School | Rank | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Est. annual tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Irvine | #23 | 169 | 3.80 | $59,080 |
| Fordham University | #29 | 168 | 3.79 | $78,078 |
| Washington and Lee University | #34 | 167 | 3.75 | $57,450 |
| Wake Forest University | #38 | 166 | 3.79 | $57,920 |
| Cardozo-Yeshiva University | #44 | 165 | 3.78 | $74,438 |
| Temple University (Beasley) | #44 | 165 | 3.76 | $32,588 |
| University of California, Davis | #44 | 165 | 3.70 | $57,460 |
| University of Washington | #44 | 165 | 3.76 | $45,927 |
| Baylor University | #49 | 164 | 3.77 | $48,275 |
| Northeastern University | #49 | 164 | 3.77 | $65,652 |
| University of Iowa | #49 | 164 | 3.78 | $30,944 |
| University of Maryland | #49 | 164 | 3.72 | $37,830 |
Showing the 12 most selective of 145 schools where you clear both medians.
How to use these numbers
- Both medians cleared: target. You are competitive, and merit-aid offers are most likely here.
- One median cleared: reasonable reach or safety depending on which number and by how much.
- Neither cleared: long shot unless something else in your file stands out.
Rules of thumb, not guarantees. Apply to a mix: targets where you clear both medians, a few reaches, and at least one school you would happily attend.
Common questions
Can I get into law school with a 3.80 GPA and a 171 LSAT?
Yes. With a 3.80 GPA and a 171 LSAT you sit at or above both published medians at 145 of the 196 ABA schools in our data set. Those are realistic targets. Apply broadly across them and add a few reaches where one of your numbers clears the median.
Is a 171 LSAT good with a 3.80 GPA?
A 171 sits above about the 94th percentile of recent LSAT scores. Your LSAT is doing the heavy lifting here: it clears 184 school medians while your GPA clears 145. That is a classic splitter profile, and splitter-friendly schools reward it. Compare both numbers to each target school’s medians rather than judging either one alone.
Should I retake the LSAT with a 3.80 GPA?
If your target schools’ LSAT medians sit above 171 and you have study time left, a retake is usually the highest-leverage move: the LSAT is the one number you can still change. Our retake guide for a 171 walks through it: /should-i-retake/171
Law schools for a 171 LSAT · Should you retake a 171? · Free LSAT prep
Medians from ABA Standard 509 disclosures via ILRG, Fall 2025 entering class. Tuition is the 2025-2026 sticker price. All cost figures are estimates, not guarantees.
Last updated October 12, 2026