Skip to main content

Click here to visit the LSAC Website.

GPA & LSAT:

According to most law schools, GPA and LSAT score are the two most important factors in your law school application. While the law school admissions committees will review all aspects of your law school application, the GPA and LSAT are the factors will likely be reviewed first and they can either “open the door” or “close the door” on your admissions chances. Multiple sites exist for Pre-Law students to learn about a law schools GPA and LSAT averages, but the resources that we most strongly recommend viewing are listed below.

GPA and LSAT Averages of Law Schools
  • LSAC’s UGPA/LSAT Score Search – enter your Undergraduate GPA and LSAT score and see your chances of admission at different law schools
  • LSAC’s Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools – search by Undergraduate GPA, LSAT, state, region, keyword, etc. and also includes links to all law schools’ websites
  • ABA’s Standard 509 Reports – These reports provide the most current and comprehensive data from the American Bar Association (ABA) including LSAT score and GPA ranges for each law school in addition to other admissions data; tuition and fees, living costs, and financial aid; conditional scholarships; enrollment data, including academic, transfer, and other attrition; numbers of full‐time and part‐time faculty, professional librarians, and administrators; class sizes for first‐year and upper‐class courses; number of seminar, clinical and co‐curricular offerings; employment outcomes; and bar passage data.
  • NAPLA’s Law School Locator (pdf) – This printer friendly tool can help you assess the LSAT and GPA expectations of different law schools.

Majors for Law School Preparation:

There is no “one” major for law school nor any specific set of courses need to prepare for law school. In other words, you can be any major! Law schools want you to choose a major that you will enjoy. The top five majors for law school applicants from UCF last year were (in alphabetical order):

  • Criminal Justice
  • History
  • Legal Studies
  • Political Science (all tracks)
  • Psychology
  • Minor Program: Writing and Rhetoric

Instead of focusing on “major”, Pre-Law students should focus on developing “skill sets” while in college that will be of great benefit to them in law school and as a lawyer. These skill sets include:

  • Reading and Listening
  • Analyzing
  • Synthesizing
  • Advocating
  • Counseling
  • Writing and Speaking
  • Negotiating 

    For more information about skill sets, read the LSAC’s Lawyers and Their Skills.

Meaningful Electives:

PREFIX

COURSE TITLE

PRE-REQS

CCJ 3014

Crime in America

Sophomore standing and ENC1102

CPO 3103

Comparative Politics

ENC1102 or POS 2041 or C.I.

ECO 4751

Law and Economics

ECO 2013 and 2023

ENC 3241

Writing for the Technical Profession

C or better in ENC 1102 or C.I.

ENC 3311

Essay as Cultural Commentary

C or better in ENC 1102 or C.I.

ENC 3315

Argumentative Writing

C or better in ENC 1102

GEO 3471

World Political Geography

ENC 1102 or POS 2041 or C.I.

HSC 4652

Health Law and Ethics

ENC 1102 and junior standing, or C.I.

MMC 3200

Mass Communication Law

SPC 1608 or SPC 1603C or COM1000, or C.I.

PHI 2101

Formal Logic I

PHI 2108

Critical Thinking

PHI 2630

Ethics

PHI 3131

Formal Logic II

PHI 2101

PHM 3100

Freedom and Justice

Junior standing or PHI 2101, or C.I.

PHM 3401

Philosophy of Law

PHI 2010, PHI 2630, PHI 3670 or POS 2041

PLA 3014

Law and the Legal System

ENC 1101

PLA 3108

Legal Research

ENC 1102

PLA 3155

Legal Writing

PLA 3108

PLA 3205

Civil Practice and Procedure

ENC 1102

PLA 3277

The Law of Torts

ENC 1102

PLA 3306

Criminal Law

ENC 1102

PLA 3309

Criminal Procedure

ENC 1102

PLA 3615

Property and Real Estate Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4020

Law and Society

ENC 1102

PLA 4240

Negotiation Alternatives in Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4263

Evidence

ENC 1102

PLA 4424

The Law of Contracts

ENC 1102

PLA 4464

Bankruptcy Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4472

Employment Discrimination Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4485

Administrative Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4530

Legal Issues of the Elderly

ENC 1102

PLA 4554

Environmental Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4583 

Cyber Law I

PLA 4607

Estates and Trusts

ENC 1102

PLA 4703

Professional Ethics and Liability

ENC 1102

PLA 4764

Law Office Practices

ENC 1102

PLA 4806

Domestic Relations Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4813

Juvenile Law and Procedure

ENC 1102

PLA 4823

Sports Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4825

Entertainment Law

ENC 1102

PLA 4830

World Legal Systems

ENC 1102

PLA 4910

Trial Advocacy

ENC 1102

POS 4603

American Constitutional Law I

ENC 1102 or POS 2041, or C.I.

POS 4604

American Constitutional Law II

ENC 1102 or POS 2041, or C.I.

* C.I. = Consent of Instructor

Additional Resources:

  • LSAC (Law School Admissions Council) – LSAC helps prospective law students with easing the law school admission process. Pre-Law students will register for the LSAT and apply to law schools from the LSAC website.

  • ABA (American Bar Association) – Founded in 1878, the ABA is committed to supporting the legal profession with practical resources for legal professionals while improving the administration of justice, accrediting law schools, establishing model ethical codes, and more. Membership is open to lawyers, law students, and others interested in the law and the legal profession.

  • NALP (National Association for Law Placement – NALP is the premier resource for information on legal employment and recruiting. Analysis of data sources such as the Employment Report and Salary Survey, the Associate Salary Survey, the NALP Directory of Legal Employers, and others allows NALP to provide comprehensive information on a variety of topics.