4.00 GPA and 161 LSAT: Where Do I Get In?
Admissions offices read your GPA and LSAT as a pair, so here they are together. With a 4.00 GPA and a 161 LSAT (which sits between about the 71st and 85th percentile), you clear both published medians at 123 of the 196 ABA schools in our data.
Your profile type
Your GPA is doing the heavy lifting here: it clears 196 school medians while your LSAT clears 123. That is a reverse-splitter profile. A few more LSAT points would move the needle most.
Target schools (both medians cleared, most selective first)
| School | Rank | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Est. annual tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont University | #74 | 161 | 3.84 | $55,500 |
| Brooklyn Law School | #74 | 161 | 3.59 | $75,496 |
| Catholic University of America | #74 | 161 | 3.68 | $61,580 |
| Florida International U. | #74 | 161 | 3.80 | $21,129 |
| IIT Chicago-Kent | #74 | 161 | 3.72 | $55,910 |
| Lewis & Clark (Northwestern) | #74 | 161 | 3.59 | $61,434 |
| Loyola University Chicago | #74 | 161 | 3.70 | $58,670 |
| Seton Hall University | #74 | 161 | 3.71 | $69,660 |
| Tulane University | #74 | 161 | 3.67 | $69,578 |
| University of California, Hastings | #74 | 161 | 3.71 | $53,087 |
| University of Missouri, Columbia | #74 | 161 | 3.72 | $25,774 |
| Drexel University (Kline) | #85 | 160 | 3.76 | $57,000 |
Showing the 12 most selective of 123 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 4.00 GPA and a 161 LSAT?
Yes. With a 4.00 GPA and a 161 LSAT you sit at or above both published medians at 123 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 161 LSAT good with a 4.00 GPA?
A 161 sits between about the 71st and 85th percentile of recent LSAT scores. Your GPA is doing the heavy lifting here: it clears 196 school medians while your LSAT clears 123. That is a reverse-splitter profile. A few more LSAT points would move the needle most. Compare both numbers to each target school’s medians rather than judging either one alone.
Should I retake the LSAT with a 4.00 GPA?
If your target schools’ LSAT medians sit above 161 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 161 walks through it: /should-i-retake/161
Law schools for a 161 LSAT · Should you retake a 161? · 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