Law school what should i major in

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If pre-law itself isn't a great major, then what is the best major for you if you want to go law school? Well, the short answer is that your major doesn't have much of an impact on whether or not you gain admission to law school. The type of undergrad degree you earn BA, BS, etc. You'll give yourself the best chance of getting into the law school of your choice by majoring in a subject you really enjoy. If you like what you're studying, you'll get better grades.

If you're trying to decide on a major that will best prepare you for law school, then you may want to choose a major that stresses logic, analytical skills, reading comprehension, and writing skills. These are all attributes you need to do well on the LSAT and in law school. Knowing what other law school applicants are majoring in can also help you make your decision.

Below is a chart with the ten most popular majors for law school applicants , along with number of applicants, the average LSAT score for that major, and the percentage of applicants admitted to at least one law school. This data comes from the LSAC and is from law school applicants in and Although more recent data on the college majors of law school applicants is unavailable, the volume of law school applicants has been holding fairly steady, in spite of changes due to the COVID pandemic.

If you're interested in the most recent data about law school applicants from LSAC, click here to learn more about the effects of COVID, as well as the trend towards greater racial and gender diversity among applicants. The average score is about The median score for top 25 law schools is over , and for top 10 law schools, it's over As you can see, political science is by far the most popular major for law school applicants, however; if you look at the complete data, you'll see that political science majors make up only about one-fifth of all law school applicants, which shows there's a wide distribution in the number of majors that law school applicants have.

Economics majors have the highest average LSAT score, as well as the highest acceptance rate into law school. It's incredibly difficult to rank the best colleges for those who wish to go to law school. Generally, you'll be best prepared for law school by excelling in challenging undergraduate courses that strengthen your analytical skills. Also, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, if your concern is getting into law school, your GPA and LSAT score are the most important factors.

However, if two applicants have very similar credentials, the law school may give the nod to the student who attended the more prestigious college. So you should probably be aware of college rankings. For the most part, the aspiring law school student should choose a college the same way the typical college student does. Consider things like selectivity, cost, location, size, and the campus culture. Additionally, you should research the available resources for students who want to go to law school at the colleges you're considering.

Even if a school doesn't have a pre-law degree, it may offer pre-law advising for those who wish to pursue a legal education.

Also, there may be pre-law clubs that offer support, programming, and internship opportunities for pre-law students. You can get into a top law school after graduating from any college. Having a good college GPA is extremely important to law schools.

While many college students have a few semesters when they slack off or settle for mediocrity, you need to maintain a high GPA throughout your undergraduate years. The law school admission exam has a reputation for being very challenging. If you know you want to go to law school, give yourself ample time to prepare for the test.

Familiarize yourself with the content and format. Do tons of realistic practice problems and questions from actual LSATs. Determine your content weaknesses, and then do enough studying and practice problems to improve your weaknesses. Take at least a few practice LSATs simulating testing conditions to improve your test endurance, work on your time management, and see how close you are to your target score.

You can use prep books or classes to help you in your preparation. However, before you purchase any book or sign up for a class, do your research to ensure you're using a high quality book or taking a good class that will adequately prepare you for the exam.

There are many subpar prep books and classes out there. Preparing for law school in college doesn't mean that you should only take classes about the legal system. Law schools would rather you take challenging courses that will help you improve your analytical skills and reading comprehension. If you're a science major, you may want to take English courses so you can practice doing a ton of reading, writing, and analyzing language.

If you're a humanities major, you may want to take economics classes to improve your logic and problem-solving skills. During your studies, you will be required to analyze historical records and interpretations of events. These skills can help make you a more perceptive, confident, and sophisticated writer, thinker, and lawyer. While other options may be available, most schools will over a B. While you may not think of a philosophy degree as an obvious choice for getting into law school, it can actually be quite fitting.

Philosophy students study human thought and debate on age-old topics such as knowledge, existence, ethics, and truth. Your coursework can include subjects like ancient and modern philosophy, ethics, theory and logic, and metaphysics. Most schools will offer a B.

Because the basis of many of our laws lies in ethics and human nature, philosophy can make a lot of sense for a law school hopeful. While the official definition of sociology is the study of institutions, those who choose this major will quickly find that it entails much more. Deciding to study sociology as an undergraduate can be the perfect pairing for law school. You can also use your knowledge of sociology paired with your law degree to help sway public policy and advocate for legal reform.

While the majors mentioned above are the most popular undergraduate choices for future law students, they are not your only options. You already know that law school requires proficiency in reading, writing, and public speaking. Approaching law school as an international relations major comes with a variety of benefits.

This understanding paired with the ability to think critically and analyze information can be a great foundation for law school. Whether you choose to focus on business administration or corporate business, your degree will reflect a rigorous course of study, making you an attractive candidate for law school.

As a business major, you can expect to study everything from business management and administration to marketing and trends. Your courses will cover topics like accounting, finance, and the legal and ethical principles of business. These courses will strengthen your understanding of contracts, negotiation, and business structure, all of which are important for law school. Environmental science is a relatively new field that combines biology, chemistry, and earth sciences such as geography with the social sciences such as law and economics.

Majoring in environmental science will mean learning how physical and biological processes work together to shape the world. Your courses are likely to include environmental science, economics, conservation, geoscience, forestry, statistics, and law. This major will allow you to see issues from different perspectives, something that will be a huge asset in the law world.

The fields of social work and law have much in common. Social workers provide resources and counseling to help people overcome challenges such as homelessness, abuse, and addiction. A degree in social work teaches you how to work with individuals, families, groups, and community organizations.

Here are just a few ways you can do that:. Beyond taking these steps, there is no single best major for law school. You can major in absolutely anything and apply to law school. However, there are schools and programs that do a better job of preparing you for graduate study. Even before you enroll in college, you can take steps to make yourself a stronger candidate for law school. Here are a few tips for how to approach your school, major, and course selection as an undergraduate:.

Look for schools that offer pre-law advising. Some schools prefer to emphasize learning for the sake of learning, while others help students plan ahead for their careers. As a prospective law student, finding the latter type of school will give you the context and support you need to excel once it comes time to apply. When you research the schools on your list, see what kind of resources are available for students interested in pursuing law.

Select a rigorous, well-respected school or program. Both your college GPA and the rigor of your course load will be considered when you apply to law school.

For that reason, it is important to prioritize academics during your undergraduate years. Pursue a program that strengthens your critical reasoning and attention to detail.

Certain fields, such as Classics, Linguistics, and Mathematics, demand more critical reasoning and attention to detail than others. Additionally, all liberal arts curricula are designed to foster these traits. Gravitate towards schools and programs that prioritize these skills. Pick a writing-heavy major. Law students have many papers to write, as well as exams that include long written responses to questions.

Build your stamina and polish as a writer by choosing a major that assesses written content regularly. Seek out schools and programs with smaller class sizes.

Receiving strong letters of recommendation from professors will go a long way towards setting you apart in your law school application. To receive great letters, it is important to cultivate strong relationships with your instructors. Small class sizes make it easier for your professor to get to know you. If you want to major in a subject with large lectures, that is okay too.

Simply make a point of attending office hours regularly to foster relationships with your professors and teaching assistants. Use undergrad to build your foundation in an industry of interest. Your undergraduate years are a great time to build a foundation in the field in which you hope to practice law. Similarly, if you want to support a particular population, now is a great time to learn a foreign language that will be useful when you practice.

While there are no objective best majors for law school, certain courses of study do prepare you for that next step better than others. Below, you can find a ranked list of the ten most popular majors for law students. We put together this list based on 2 important main types of data: the number of students admitted to law school with a certain major, and the average LSAT score of the students with that major.

Students admitted to law school from this major last year: 1, Average LSAT score of admitted students out of :