For many people, carving out a path that leads to a successful law career starts with choosing an undergraduate degree. There are many options available, and the type of law you plan to practice may come into play as you choose your undergraduate pre-law major.
Certain majors have higher law school admission rates than others, and some majors have more difficult coursework than others. As you plan your education and career, make sure to keep these factors in mind. In this article, we discuss the 13 most common undergraduate majors for law school students.
What Major Is Best for Law School?
The American Bar Association (ABA) does not recommend any specific undergraduate major to students who want to become a lawyer. Instead, the organization suggests that any student planning to become a lawyer select an undergraduate major that interests and challenges them.
Your undergraduate major should offer coursework that develops your research, critical reading and writing skills. It’s best to choose a major that provides a well-rounded education through a variety of courses. Your major should challenge you to learn more about the subjects you enjoy.
While law schools do consider your major, they also look at your undergraduate GPA. A high undergraduate GPA may demonstrate that you take your education seriously and can put in the work needed to complete a juris doctor (JD) and become a successful lawyer. For this reason, you should choose a major in which you will excel.
LSAT or GRE scores also play a key role in JD program admissions. According to a report by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), law school applicants with the highest LSAT scores were economics majors, followed by philosophy majors and history majors.
Best Undergraduate Majors for Law School
According to the LSAC report mentioned above, the most common undergraduate major for law school applicants was political science. The applicants with the highest rate of admittance (77.5%) were history majors.
Note that many universities do not offer pre-law majors, and pre-law majors did not fall within the most common undergraduate majors for law school applicants.
Below we list the 13 most common undergraduate majors for students who applied to law schools approved by the ABA, according to LSAC data.
History
There were 3,366 history majors who applied, and 77.5% were admitted. Coursework for history majors includes cultures and civilizations, specific eras, geography, American and international studies, research and analysis and social justice.
History majors had the highest percentage of acceptance into law schools. Majoring in history can provide you with a greater understanding of people from different cultures and backgrounds, which can be useful for attorneys who practice any type of law.
Economics
There were 3,709 economics majors who applied, and 76.1% were admitted. Economics coursework includes micro and macroeconomics, market outcomes, fiscal and monetary policy and basic economic modeling. Majoring in economics is an excellent option for tax attorneys and corporate attorneys who are preparing for their careers.
English
There were 3,509 English majors who applied, and 74.4% were admitted. Coursework for an English major includes literature, cultural studies, historical periods, creative writing and critical theory. Majoring in English can help students develop strong communication skills, which is essential for attorneys who decide to practice any type of law.
Philosophy
There were 2,720 philosophy majors who applied, and 73.4% were admitted. Coursework for philosophy majors may include metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, social and political philosophy and history of philosophy. Majoring in philosophy can help students develop their communication, analytical and logical argumentation skills, which are useful for any type of law practice.
Political Science
Political science was the most common undergraduate major by far. There were 14,946 political science majors who applied, and 73.1% of them were admitted. Political science coursework includes political theory, government systems and how the judicial system works, making this an excellent option for an undergraduate major. Majoring in political science can help you prepare to specialize in virtually any type of law.
Finance
There were 2,024 finance majors who applied, and 72.7% were admitted. Coursework for finance majors may include business economics, cost analysis, accounting, business law, ethics, statistics and management. Finance can be an excellent major for those who plan to work in tax law, corporate law or real estate law.
Arts and Humanities
There were 2,766 arts and humanities majors who applied, and 71.7% were admitted. Coursework for arts and humanities majors varies according to specialization but may include languages, literature, music, art, astronomy, logic, philosophy, theater, religion and social sciences. Arts and humanities programs provide broad knowledge for future attorneys to use in many types of law practices.
Communications
There were 2,377 communications majors who applied, and 69.1% were admitted. Coursework for communications majors may include rhetoric, public speaking, journalism, writing, public relations and advertising. Majoring in communications helps students develop excellent communication skills, which are essential to any attorney both in and out of a courtroom setting.
Psychology
What can you do with a bachelor’s in psychology? Well, you can go to law school. Of the 4,265 psychology majors who applied, 69.1% were admitted. Psychology coursework includes studying human behavior and mental health issues. Majoring in psychology can be a benefit to those specializing in many types of law since understanding how people think and behave is helpful in a variety of situations.
Sociology
There were 2,194 sociology majors who applied, and 64.7% were admitted. Coursework for sociology majors may include human behavior, race relations, social theory, statistics, research methodology, criminology, social policy, family structures and religion. Sociology majors develop skills that help them relate to people from all walks of life, so law students who intend to work in divorce and family law, immigration and public defense may especially benefit from this major.
Business Administration
There were 1,805 business administration majors who applied, and 63.8% were admitted. Coursework for a business administration bachelor’s may include economics, marketing, business communication, entrepreneurship, human resources, accounting and organizational management. A business administration major may be helpful for those who intend to practice corporate law, patent or intellectual property law, tax law or real estate law.
Other Areas
This category encompasses all majors that were not included among the 144 majors in the report. There were 5,866 students with “other” majors who applied, and 57.4% of them were admitted. This category is a catch-all for various majors, so make sure to consider each option when determining whether a major qualifies you for a particular specialization.
Criminal Justice
There were 3,762 criminal justice majors who applied, and 56.2% were admitted. Criminal justice bachelor’s degree coursework includes forensics, human behavior, social policies, research and management. While this coursework may help law school applicants who plan to become defense attorneys, admission rates for criminal justice majors were relatively low, so this major may not improve your chance for admission to law school.
Should You Major in Pre-Law?
A pre-law degree covers general education, an introduction to law and other coursework that helps learners build solid analytical and reasoning skills. This major introduces students to some of the concepts they will need to know later in law school.
While pre-law may seem like the logical best option, that is not necessarily the case. In fact, this major may hinder you more than help you.
According to LSAT Max, an organization that offers LSAT test prep courses, a pre-law major provides an introduction to basic legal concepts—but it may not offer particularly challenging coursework since this major is considered to be relatively easy. This could potentially make you a less competitive law school candidate than other students.
Your major should be something you both enjoy and excel at. If pre-law checks those boxes for you, consider choosing it as a major. If not, however, select a major that will expand your knowledge and help you build your skills.
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