Competition for law school admissions expected to remain hot
Thanks to the charged political climate, the law school application boom of the past two years will continue to be strong this year, which may shape up to be more competitive than last year. (Image from Shutterstock)
Thanks to the charged political climate, the law school application boom of the past two years will continue to be strong this year, which may shape up to be more competitive than last year, according to a survey released Tuesday by test prep company Kaplan.
Just over 90% of law school admissions officers surveyed said they anticipate the 2026-2027 application cycle would be just as tough, with 38% of those saying it would be much more or somewhat more competitive, while 53% said it would remain “about the same.” Only 6% predicted a less competitive cycle, and 3% weren’t sure.
The survey, conducted via email between July and September, is based on responses from 90 admissions officers from the 198 ABA-accredited law schools.
“Over the past year, Kaplan has continued to see elevated numbers of students preparing for the LSAT, signaling sustained interest in legal education,” said Glen Stohr, the lead Law School Admission Test instructional designer at Kaplan, in a statement.
Stohr acknowledged that LSAT scores are valid for five testing years, meaning that not every student will apply this cycle, but that “all signs point to a highly competitive environment.”
Kaplan research from 2025 shows that the political climate is a key force behind the increase in applicants, along with a challenging post-college graduation job market.
As of Sept. 28, there were 579,849 applications submitted by 82,502 applicants for the 2026-2027 academic year, up 10.8% for applications and up 7.9% for applicants over a year earlier, according to the Law School Admission Council.
Law.com also had coverage.
See also:
Law school applications reach record high—again
Political climate motivates prelaw students to apply, new Kaplan survey shows
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
.jpg)
