Fall 2021 Law School Admissions Update: Applicants Are Up 31%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands And Applicants Of Color

As we close out 2020, we are now 40% of the way through Fall 2021 law school admissions season. The number of law school applicants reported by LSAC is up 31.1% (a 7.2 percentage point drop in less than two weeks).

Applicants are up the most in New England (41.7%), Midwest (38.1%), and Far West (34.9%); and up the least in the South Central (28.2%), Northwest (28.7%), and Southeast (29.8%)

Applicants' LSAT scores are up 65.3% in the 170-180 band, 31.6% in the 160-169 band, 22.0% in the 150-159 band, and 15.0% in the 120-149 band:

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander applicants are up 49.6%; Puerto Rican applicants are up 46.6%; Black/African-American applicants are up 37.3%; Caucasian/White applicants are up 31.9%; American Indian/Alaska Native applicants are up 30.9%; Hispanic/Latino applicants are up 28.9%; Asian applicants are up 28.0%; and applicants who did not reveal their ethnicity are up 19.4%.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• 6% Through the Fall 2021 Admissions Season: Applicants Are Up Over 35%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands (Oct. 5, 2020)
• 16% Through the Fall 2021 Admissions Season:  Applicants Are Up Over 35%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands And Applicants Of Color (Nov. 2, 2020)
• 25% Through the Fall 2021 Admissions Season: Applicants Are Up 32%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands And Applicants Of Color (Nov. 23, 2020)
• Mike Spivey, Projections For Fall 2021 Law School Applicants: +28% (+53% In 160-180 LSAT Band) (Nov. 16, 2020)
• Karen Sloan (Law.com), Law School Applicants Are Way Up. Is It A 'Trump Bump' Or An 'RBG Moment'? (Nov. 18, 2020)
• Jeff Thomas (Kaplan), Is The Projected Large Increase In Fall 2021 Law School Applicants A COVID-19 Illusion? First-Time LSAT Test-Takers Are Down 3% (Nov. 19, 2020)
• 33% Through the Fall 2021 Admissions Season: Applicants Are Up 38%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands (Dec. 11, 2020)
• Kellye Y. Testy (President & CEO, LSAC), The Fall 2020 Law School Class ... And An Early Look At The Incoming Fall 2021 Class (Dec. 20, 2020)