3.90 GPA and 170 LSAT: Where Do I Get In?
Admissions offices read your GPA and LSAT as a pair, so here they are together. With a 3.90 GPA and a 170 LSAT (which sits about the 94th percentile), you clear both published medians at 166 of the 196 ABA schools in our data.
Your profile type
Your two numbers are balanced: your LSAT clears 179 school medians and your GPA clears 169. Balanced profiles give you the widest set of target schools.
Target schools (both medians cleared, most selective first)
| School | Rank | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Est. annual tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University | #18 | 170 | 3.88 | $69,870 |
| University of Notre Dame | #18 | 170 | 3.89 | $73,430 |
| University of California, Irvine | #23 | 169 | 3.80 | $59,080 |
| Boston College | #29 | 168 | 3.83 | $72,380 |
| Fordham University | #29 | 168 | 3.79 | $78,078 |
| George Washington U. | #29 | 168 | 3.86 | $75,420 |
| University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | #29 | 168 | 3.89 | $28,082 |
| Southern Methodist University | #34 | 167 | 3.81 | $60,844 |
| University of Wisconsin, Madison | #34 | 167 | 3.81 | $36,526 |
| Washington and Lee University | #34 | 167 | 3.75 | $57,450 |
| College of William and Mary | #38 | 166 | 3.82 | $38,734 |
| Emory University | #38 | 166 | 3.82 | $69,510 |
Showing the 12 most selective of 166 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 3.90 GPA and a 170 LSAT?
Yes. With a 3.90 GPA and a 170 LSAT you sit at or above both published medians at 166 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 170 LSAT good with a 3.90 GPA?
A 170 sits about the 94th percentile of recent LSAT scores. Your two numbers are balanced: your LSAT clears 179 school medians and your GPA clears 169. Balanced profiles give you the widest set of target schools. Compare both numbers to each target school’s medians rather than judging either one alone.
Should I retake the LSAT with a 3.90 GPA?
If your target schools’ LSAT medians sit above 170 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 170 walks through it: /should-i-retake/170
Law schools for a 170 LSAT · Should you retake a 170? · 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.