So, you’re considering applying to law school but you worry your undergraduate major isn’t the right fit for a law school applicant.
Maybe you’re an English major, and the closest you’ve come to reading a legal brief was the neverending case of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce in Charles Dickens’s 1,040-page whopper of a novel, Bleak House.
Or maybe you majored in neuroscience, and the only trial you’ve ever run was a Stroop test.
Fear not! The roads to law school are as varied as the practice of law itself, and while your undergraduate career lays the foundation for the skills you’ll develop after college, law school is a new and demanding experience for everyone, whether you’ve been on a pre-law track or not.
Law School Admissions Criteria and the Role of Majors
“Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline,” according to the American Bar Association (ABA). “A sound legal education will build upon and further refine the skills, values, and knowledge that you already possess.”
While your major plays a role in how admissions committees view your application, it’s just one part of a broader picture that includes several key criteria including LSAT scores, GPA, letters of recommendation, and personal statements.
Furthermore, the challenge and rigor of your academic program counts for a lot, regardless of your major. Exceptional performance in a demanding department demonstrates your intellectual capacity and resilience, qualities that are essential in law school. Writing a senior thesis in your major and graduating with Latin honors are two ways to demonstrate your dedication.
In short, your major doesn’t define your law school prospects. Your performance, growth, and how you connect your academic journey to your future in law do.
Common Undergraduate Majors for Pre-Law Students
While there’s no “perfect” pre-law major, there are definite trends in undergraduate majors among law school applicants.
According to 2023 data from the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), nearly half of all law school applicants (48.3%) are drawn from the social sciences, 20.5% come from the arts and humanities, 15.7% specialize in business and management, and 6.6% are in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
Let’s consider some of the most common majors and examine how these programs foster skills that are relevant to legal study.
Political Science
According to LSAC data, about 18% of law school applicants major in political science, making it the single most common major by over 10 percentage points.
The field provides a foundational understanding of government structures, legal institutions, and public policy, areas that directly relate to constitutional and administrative law. Students examine the interaction between political theories, legal frameworks, and broader socio-cultural issues, honing skills needed for case analysis. Departments typically provide undergrads with opportunities to develop their public speaking and communication skills through in-person policy debates that mirror courtroom dynamics.
Psychology
A little over 5% of J.D. applicants major in psychology. Law often revolves around interpreting motives, assessing credibility, and understanding decision-making processes; psychology provides a foundation for analyzing why people think and act the way they do, which is critical in fields like criminal law, family law, and litigation. Likewise, in-depth understanding of social dynamics and interpersonal relationships enhances a lawyer’s ability to negotiate, mediate, and advocate effectively.
Criminal Justice
It should be no surprise that law school is a frequent next step for criminal justice majors; they make up about 5% of law school applicants. Criminal law and procedure are core subjects in your first year in law school, and criminal justice majors often enter with a solid grounding in the mechanics of the legal system, trial processes, and the role of various legal institutions. The major also affords opportunities for internships and other hands-on experiences that look good on an application and that offer valuable practical insight into the day-to-day work of the law.
English
English majors make up just under 5% of law school applicants. English programs train students to dissect complex texts, evaluate nuanced language, and hone close reading practices that are useful for interpreting legal cases and statutes. The major fosters critical thinking skills and argumentation, and it encourages undergrads to examine issues from a variety of competing perspectives, often with an emphasis on sussing out the ambiguity in language.
Economics
Over 4% of students applying to law school majored in economics. Economics majors learn to assess the effectiveness of laws and regulations based on empirical data, providing a strong foundation for roles in public policy, legislative advocacy, and regulatory law. Economics requires students to critique theoretical models and determine their real-world applicability, a process that often mirrors legal analysis, where arguments must be evaluated based on logic, precedent, and statutory interpretation.
History
History emphasizes rigorous research methods, including the analysis of primary and secondary sources, crucial for legal case preparation. History students, who comprise just over 4% of law school applicants, learn to examine precedent and historical context and to construct well-documented, evidence-based arguments about complicated cause-and-effect relationships.
Philosophy
While philosophy majors have long been the butt of jokes about employment prospects, the field focuses heavily on formal logic and complex, abstract problem-solving: two skills that are absolutely essential on the LSAT and in law school. A little over 3% of law school applicants are drawn from philosophy programs: their students learn to question assumptions, think critically about principles and their applications, and develop skills for persuasive argumentation.
Case Studies: Successful Law School Applicants' Majors and Paths
Before she came to Stetson, recent alum, Rylie Pennel ‘24, majored in computational and systems neuroscience at Virginia Tech. While she felt confident she wanted to go to law school even before she chose her major, Rylie thought a slightly less conventional undergraduate path in a STEM field would provide her with a strong back-up in case she took a different direction.
“I just really loved neuroscience,” she said, plus “I was thinking at first [I might specialize in] intellectual property law, which requires a STEM background — at least patent law does.”
Another recent alum, Blaze Bowers ‘21, majored in Secondary Social Studies Education and History before he came to Stetson Law. After struggling to choose a legal field to focus on his first year in law school, Blaze ended up incorporating his background in education into a focus on higher education law through Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy. Today he’s Regional Director for Client Relations & Engagement at a firm that helps schools meet Title IX and other equity compliance requirements.
Advice for Pre-Law Students on Major Selection and Coursework
In this section, we’ll offer some practical tips both for selecting a major that aligns with your interests and for building a successful resume for yourself as an applicant.
Strategies for Choosing a Major
The best major for law school isn’t the one that “sounds” right—it’s the one that helps you build essential writing skills, research aptitude, and problem-solving abilities in order to grow into a strong, well-rounded thinker. Here are some strategies for picking the right major for you:
- Choose a subject you genuinely enjoy. Law school admissions value academic excellence, and you’re more likely to excel in a major that keeps you engaged.
- Prioritize writing-intensive majors: fields where critical analysis and essay-based assessments are common.
- Choose research-heavy courses. Look for majors that emphasize independent research projects, thesis writing, or data analysis—skills vital for legal case preparation and argumentation.
- Develop your analytical skills. Consider majors which develop analytical thinking and logical reasoning through problem-solving frameworks.
Maintaining a Strong GPA
When it comes to the law school admissions process, your GPA is one of the most critical components of your application, alongside your LSAT score. A good GPA for law school typically falls within the 3.7 – 4.0 range for top law programs, while 3.4 – 3.7 is competitive for strong regional and national schools.
Admissions committees also consider factors like the rigor of your undergraduate institution, your major, grade trends, and overall academic improvement. While a higher GPA strengthens your application, a strong LSAT score, compelling personal statement, and relevant experience can help offset a lower GPA, making you a well-rounded candidate.
Extracurricular Activities and Course Load
Complement your major with extracurricular activities like debate club, mock trial, or Model UN to develop your advocacy and public speaking skills. Look for organizations where you can take a leadership position: even if your extracurriculars don’t have any obvious connection to the law, help run or organize at least one of them to display your initiative.
Hands-on experience with the law through an internship or externship will provide you with invaluable experience for your resume and critical insight into your own future job preferences. Most law school students either don’t know what type of law they want to specialize in when they arrive, or they change their focus over the course of their first two years. But experience at an actual law firm, nonprofit organization, or government agency will help you connect the law in theory to its actual practice, and it shows law school admissions boards that you’re already thinking ahead to legal careers.
The Impact of College Majors on Law School Success and Career Paths
Choosing a major can feel like a make-or-break decision when you’re in college, and it’s definitely important to your academic development and your future career path. But it isn’t the be-all end-all choice it may feel like. You can develop the critical thinking, research, and writing skills you’ll need for your legal education in many different majors as long as you work hard, challenge yourself, and make some strategic choices with an eye toward the future.
At Stetson Law, we get students who’ve pursued any number of different paths toward law school. We take pride in the academic rigor of our programs and in the broad diversity of our student body. Contact our admissions department to find out more about how Stetson Law can help you pursue your legal career.
Topics: Applying to Law School, Articles
