Do law schools accept the GRE? How to check each school
Many ABA-accredited law schools accept the GRE, including selective ones. But policies differ by school, change often, and come with quirks. Never assume. Check each school yourself.
The general landscape
- More than 100 ABA-accredited law schools accept the GRE. The LSAT remains the only test every ABA-accredited JD program accepts.
- Fewer than 2 percent of enrolled law students were admitted with a GRE score. The LSAT is still the standard path.
- A school "accepting" the GRE does not always mean treating it equally. Some schools state a preference for the LSAT. Read the fine print.
Policy quirks to watch for
- The LSAT-on-file rule. Some schools will not consider a GRE score if you already have an LSAT score on file. If you have taken the LSAT, that score may be the one they use.
- All-scores rules. Some schools ask for all of your GRE scores from the last five years, similar to how law schools see all LSAT scores.
- Conversion uncertainty. Schools compare GRE scores to their published LSAT medians using concordance tables. That translation adds uncertainty your LSAT score would not have.
How to verify any school's current policy
- Go to the school's admissions page and search for "GRE." Look for the current application cycle, not last year's.
- Check the school's ABA Standard 509 report, which lists the tests accepted and how many enrolled students used each.
- If the policy is unclear, email the admissions office. Ask two questions: do you accept the GRE for this cycle, and do you evaluate it equally with the LSAT?
- Recheck close to when you apply. Policies change between cycles.
Why there is no per-school list here. GRE policies change often enough that a static list would go stale and mislead applicants. We do not publish per-school GRE policies because we cannot keep them verified. Check each school directly using the steps above.
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