GRE Acceptance at Law Schools: Policy Landscape
As of 2023, the majority of ABA-accredited law schools accept the GRE as an alternative to the LSAT, including all T14 schools. Harvard Law School was the first T14 school to formally accept the GRE (2017), followed by most T14 schools by 2021. Georgetown Law, Columbia, and Yale subsequently joined. The acceptance of the GRE does not mean schools treat it identically to the LSAT. Most schools state publicly that they accept GRE 'equally' but admissions data reveals that the vast majority of enrolled students still submitted LSAT scores — at most T14 schools, fewer than 10% of enrolled students used GRE scores exclusively. The reason: law school rankings (U.S. News) historically counted only LSAT scores in their methodology, creating an incentive for schools to admit primarily LSAT applicants who boost the school's published median. U.S. News updated its methodology in 2023 to include GRE scores in rankings calculations, which may gradually shift this dynamic. Practical implication: unless you are a strong GRE test-taker with a specific aptitude advantage (quantitative reasoning), the LSAT remains the safer choice for T14 applications. The GRE is most strategically useful for applicants pursuing dual J.D./Ph.D. or J.D./MBA programs where the GRE is already required for the partner program.