Test takers, applicants and law-school places
How many people take the LSAT, how many apply to law school, how many are admitted and how many start. Two ratios fall out of those counts: tests per person (how often the average test taker sits the test) and applicants per place (a rough measure of competition).
- Tests per person has climbed. About 1.11 tests per person who tested in 2002–2004, about 1.19 around 2010–2015, and about 1.40 in 2025. In 2025 roughly as many tests were given as in 2010 (about 173,000 against 172,000), but by about 21,000 fewer people.
- Applicants per place rises and falls in long waves. About 2.0 applicants per person entering law school in 1989, peaks near 2.3 in 1991–92 and again in 2004, a low near 1.5 in 2014–2015 after applications fell, and about 1.8 in 2025.
- The share of applicants admitted to at least one school moved the other way: about 68% in 2010, 77% in 2015 and 65% in 2025.
What the lines count, so they are not misread:
- Each line uses one definition, with one exception: LSAC changed its end-of-year counts (admitted, and the applicants they are divided by) in 2016, and says its earlier figures are not directly comparable with later ones, so read the admission share across 2015–2016 with care. People who tested, applicants and entrants come from one LSAC report and are rounded to the nearest 100; tests given come from LSAC's count by testing year (July to June), which has no figure for 2020–21, so that year is a gap.
- Two of LSAC's test counts look off, and are shown as published: its 2019–20 figure (116,736) seems to leave out the June 2020 LSAT-Flex (LSAC's own technical report puts the year at about 125,000); and its 2024–25 monthly table lists August and October at the same 22,448, which looks like a repeated entry (the technical report gives 172,819 for the year, against 173,094 here).
- A year means the testing year that ends in it (2025 = July 2024 to June 2025) for tests and test takers, and the fall of entry for applicants, admissions and entrants. LSAC pairs them the same way.
- Entered law school is LSAC's count of applicants who enrolled at an ABA-approved school (all terms, including deferrals). The ABA's own first-year count is a little different (in 2010, about 51,100 against 52,488).
- Admitted comes from LSAC's end-of-year counts (people with at least one offer), so the admission share uses LSAC's end-of-year applicant count on the same basis.
Tests givenPeople who testedApplicantsAdmittedEntered law school
Tests per person who testedApplicants per person entering law school
Share of applicants admitted
Every number
Newest first. Click a row to pick it out.
| Year | Tests given | People who tested | Applicants | Admitted | Entered law school | Applicants (end-of-year count) | Tests per person who tested | Applicants per person entering law school | Share of applicants admitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 196,177 | ||||||||
| 2025 | 173,094 | 124,000 | 76,700 | 49,783 | 42,700 | 76,480 | 1.40 | 1.80 | 65.1% |
| 2024 | 155,069 | 107,300 | 65,300 | 44,934 | 39,600 | 64,779 | 1.45 | 1.65 | 69.4% |
| 2023 | 131,748 | 96,100 | 62,100 | 42,881 | 37,700 | 61,319 | 1.37 | 1.65 | 69.9% |
| 2022 | 128,892 | 95,700 | 63,700 | 43,553 | 38,000 | 62,507 | 1.35 | 1.68 | 69.7% |
| 2021 | 121,000 | 72,300 | 48,053 | 41,500 | 70,893 | 1.74 | 67.8% | ||
| 2020 | 116,736 | 92,000 | 64,200 | 43,155 | 38,000 | 62,090 | 1.27 | 1.69 | 69.5% |
| 2019 | 132,177 | 99,200 | 63,100 | 43,563 | 38,000 | 61,648 | 1.33 | 1.66 | 70.7% |
| 2018 | 123,692 | 98,000 | 61,500 | 43,550 | 37,900 | 59,908 | 1.26 | 1.62 | 72.7% |
| 2017 | 113,550 | 94,100 | 57,300 | 41,765 | 36,600 | 55,521 | 1.21 | 1.57 | 75.2% |
| 2016 | 105,325 | 88,000 | 57,100 | 41,734 | 36,800 | 54,897 | 1.20 | 1.55 | 76.0% |
| 2015 | 102,823 | 86,600 | 57,000 | 41,934 | 37,000 | 54,433 | 1.19 | 1.54 | 77.0% |
| 2014 | 102,886 | 86,300 | 58,200 | 43,274 | 37,800 | 55,808 | 1.19 | 1.54 | 77.5% |
| 2013 | 111,296 | 94,600 | 62,700 | 45,579 | 39,400 | 59,602 | 1.18 | 1.59 | 76.5% |
| 2012 | 128,338 | 109,000 | 70,700 | 50,297 | 42,800 | 67,897 | 1.18 | 1.65 | 74.1% |
| 2011 | 148,903 | 124,800 | 81,800 | 55,411 | 47,100 | 78,478 | 1.19 | 1.74 | 70.6% |
| 2010 | 171,896 | 144,700 | 91,000 | 59,913 | 51,100 | 87,916 | 1.19 | 1.78 | 68.1% |
| 2009 | 155,056 | 132,600 | 89,500 | 57,868 | 50,200 | 86,576 | 1.17 | 1.78 | 66.8% |
| 2008 | 146,169 | 125,200 | 86,000 | 55,101 | 47,700 | 83,371 | 1.17 | 1.80 | 66.1% |
| 2007 | 140,333 | 121,600 | 87,000 | 55,141 | 48,000 | 84,021 | 1.15 | 1.81 | 65.6% |
| 2006 | 136,362 | 121,600 | 91,800 | 55,542 | 47,300 | 88,662 | 1.12 | 1.94 | 62.6% |
| 2005 | 142,651 | 127,900 | 99,100 | 47,000 | 1.11 | 2.11 | |||
| 2004 | 148,746 | 133,700 | 104,200 | 46,000 | 1.11 | 2.27 | |||
| 2003 | 147,704 | 132,700 | 102,300 | 47,300 | 1.11 | 2.16 | |||
| 2002 | 138,154 | 124,700 | 93,600 | 46,900 | 1.11 | 2.00 | |||
| 2001 | 104,700 | 79,400 | 43,300 | 1.83 | |||||
| 2000 | 101,400 | 75,700 | 41,900 | 1.81 | |||||
| 1999 | 101,900 | 74,300 | 42,300 | 1.76 | |||||
| 1998 | 99,800 | 71,700 | 41,600 | 1.72 | |||||
| 1997 | 103,200 | 72,400 | 41,600 | 1.74 | |||||
| 1996 | 108,100 | 76,700 | 42,100 | 1.82 | |||||
| 1995 | 120,400 | 84,300 | 42,200 | 2.00 | |||||
| 1994 | 121,200 | 89,700 | 43,500 | 2.06 | |||||
| 1993 | 125,700 | 92,000 | 43,100 | 2.13 | |||||
| 1992 | 133,600 | 97,700 | 41,900 | 2.33 | |||||
| 1991 | 141,200 | 99,300 | 42,900 | 2.31 | |||||
| 1990 | 135,200 | 93,000 | 42,800 | 2.17 | |||||
| 1989 | 132,900 | 87,300 | 42,600 | 2.05 |
What each line counts
- Tests given — Every LSAT given in the testing year (July to June); a person who tested twice is counted twice. LSAC. Source
- People who tested — People who took the LSAT in the testing year, each counted once. LSAC, rounded to the nearest 100. Source
- Applicants — People who applied to ABA-approved law schools to enter that year, all terms, deferrals included. LSAC, rounded to the nearest 100. Source
- Entered law school — Applicants who enrolled at an ABA-approved law school that year, all terms, deferrals included. LSAC, rounded to the nearest 100. Source
- Applicants (end-of-year count) — Applicants to ABA-approved law schools in LSAC's end-of-year counts, used here only as the base for the share admitted. LSAC changed this count in 2016 (all terms, deferrals left out) and says its earlier figures are not directly comparable with later ones. Source
- Admitted — Applicants admitted to at least one ABA-approved law school, in LSAC's end-of-year counts. LSAC changed this count in 2016 (all terms, deferrals left out) and says its earlier figures are not directly comparable with later ones. Source
- Tests per person who tested — Tests given ÷ People who tested, for the years both have.
- Applicants per person entering law school — Applicants ÷ Entered law school, for the years both have.
- Share of applicants admitted — Admitted ÷ Applicants (end-of-year count), as a percentage, for the years both have.
Updated 2026-10-20