Halfway Through The Fall 2021 Law School Admissions Cycle: Applicants Are Up 22%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands

We are now 50% of the way through Fall 2021 law school admissions season. The number of law school applicants reported by LSAC is up 21.8% compared to last year at this time (a 9.3 percentage point drop since December 31, 2020 and a 16.4 percentage point drop since December 20, 2020).

Applicants are up the most in New England (31.5%), Midwest (29.2%), and Far West (24.5%); and up the least in the Great Lakes (17.5%), Northwest (18.0%), and Midsouth (20.2%):

Applicants' LSAT scores are up 59.6% in the 170-180 band, 23.2% in the 160-169 band, 10.6% in the 150-159 band, and 8.2% in the 120-149 band:

Puerto Rican applicants are up 44.3%; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander applicants are up 33.3%; Black/African-American applicants are up 29.2%; American Indian/Alaska Native applicants are up 27.8%; Caucasian/White applicants are up 22.9%; Hispanic/Latino applicants are up 22.1%; Asian applicants are up 17.9%; and applicants who did not reveal their ethnicity are up 13.3%.

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 (Nov. 2, 2020)
• 25% Through the Fall 2021 Admissions Season: Applicants Are Up 32%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands (Nov. 23, 2020)
• 33% Through the Fall 2021 Admissions Season: Applicants Are Up 38%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands (Dec. 11, 2020)
• 40% Through the Fall 2021 Admissions Season: Applicants Are Up 31%, With Biggest Increases Among The Highest LSAT Bands (Dec. 31, 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)
• 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)