Kaplan Survey: Law School Admissions 2026-2027 To Remain Highly Competitive

• A recent Kaplan survey indicates that over 90% of law school admissions officers expect the 2026-2027 application cycle to be as competitive or more competitive than previous years.
• The survey, which included 90 admissions officers from ABA-accredited law schools, found 38% anticipate increased competitiveness.
• Key factors driving this sustained boom include a charged political climate and a challenging post-college job market, according to Kaplan research.
• Data from the Law School Admission Council shows a 10.8% increase in applications and a 7.9% rise in applicants for the 2026-2027 academic year compared to the prior year.
• Kaplan also noted elevated numbers of students preparing for the LSAT, signaling ongoing strong interest in legal education.

This trend indicates a sustained high demand for legal education, suggesting a continued competitive landscape for recruiting top talent from law schools in the coming years.

A recent Kaplan survey indicates that the intense competition for law school admissions is set to continue, with the 2026-2027 application cycle projected to be as challenging as, if not more challenging than, previous years. The findings, released on Tuesday, reflect a widespread expectation among legal education professionals that the current boom in applications will persist. Specifically, just over 90% of the admissions officers surveyed anticipate that the upcoming cycle will maintain its high level of competitiveness.

Among these, a significant 38% believe the 2026-2027 cycle will be either much more or somewhat more competitive, while 53% foresee it remaining "about the same." Only a small minority, 6%, predicted a less competitive environment, with 3% undecided. This comprehensive outlook was gathered from 90 admissions officers representing the 198 ABA-accredited law schools, through an email survey conducted between July and September.

Several key factors are contributing to this sustained legal education competitiveness. According to Kaplan's research from 2025, a primary driver behind the increase in applicants is the charged political climate, which continues to motivate prospective students toward legal careers. This sentiment is further compounded by a challenging post-college graduation job market, prompting more individuals to consider advanced degrees.

Kaplan's lead Law School Admission Test (LSAT) instructional designer, Glen Stohr, noted that the company has observed elevated numbers of students actively preparing for the LSAT. This consistent rise in LSAT preparation trends signals a robust and enduring interest in legal education. While acknowledging that LSAT scores remain valid for five testing years, meaning not every student will apply in the immediate 2026-2027 cycle, Stohr emphasized that all indicators point towards a highly competitive environment for admissions.

The ongoing surge in interest is clearly reflected in the latest application statistics. As of September 28, a substantial 579,849 applications had been submitted by 82,502 distinct applicants for the 2026-2027 academic year, according to data from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).

This represents a notable increase compared to the previous year, with applications rising by 10.8% and the number of individual applicants growing by 7.9%. This significant uptick underscores the continuing law school application boom and the intensifying competition for limited spots within ABA-accredited law schools admissions programs across the nation.

This trend indicates a sustained high demand for legal education, suggesting a continued competitive landscape for recruiting top talent from law schools in the coming years. The persistent strength of the law school application boom means that the pool of graduating legal professionals will likely remain highly qualified but also intensely sought after.

For law firms and legal departments, this sustained competitiveness in legal education carries significant implications for their long-term talent acquisition and retention strategies. Organizations will need to adapt their recruitment approaches to effectively attract and secure the best candidates from a consistently strong and competitive applicant pool, ensuring they remain agile in a dynamic legal talent market.

This trend indicates a sustained high demand for legal education, suggesting a continued competitive landscape for recruiting top talent from law schools in the coming years. Law firms and legal departments should factor this into their long-term talent acquisition and retention strategies.

Source: Original reporting via Kaplan survey and LSAC data