Which Undergraduate Majors for Law School Admissions Offer Your Best Shot?

Choosing an undergraduate major is one of the most critical decisions for aspiring lawyers. While the American Bar Association doesn’t mandate any specific majors for law school candidates, the data tells a compelling story about which fields of study lead to the highest acceptance rates and strongest preparation for legal education.

The Data-Driven Approach to Selecting Majors for Law

When it comes to majors for law school success, numbers don’t lie. According to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), certain undergraduate fields consistently outperform others in terms of law school acceptance rates. The organization’s comprehensive analysis reveals that the most competitive law school applicants often share specific academic backgrounds. Notably, LSAT scores vary dramatically by major—economics majors topped the charts, followed closely by philosophy and history majors, suggesting that these programs develop the analytical rigor law schools value.

Top Performers: History Leads the Pack

History majors demonstrated the highest acceptance rate at 77.5%, with 3,366 applicants making the cut into law programs. The curriculum—spanning cultures, civilizations, specific historical periods, and social justice—builds the contextual understanding attorneys need across virtually every practice area.

Economics majors followed closely behind with 76.1% acceptance (3,709 applicants), excelling particularly in tax and corporate law preparation through their study of market dynamics, fiscal policy, and economic modeling.

English majors secured a 74.4% acceptance rate (3,509 applicants) and developed the writing and communication prowess that forms the backbone of legal practice.

The Overlooked Advantages of Analytical Disciplines

Philosophy majors achieved a 73.4% acceptance rate despite having fewer applicants (2,720). Their training in metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and argumentation directly translates to the reasoning demands of law school and courtroom practice.

Political science, the most popular major for law school applicants with 14,946 candidates, maintained a respectable 73.1% acceptance rate. Its coverage of political theory, government systems, and judicial mechanics makes it a reliable choice for students exploring all practice areas.

Specialized Tracks: Finance and Beyond

Finance majors (72.7% acceptance, 2,024 applicants) positioned themselves well for corporate, tax, and real estate law specializations. Arts and humanities programs (71.7%, 2,766 applicants) offered breadth across languages, literature, philosophy, and social sciences, providing flexibility for various legal careers.

Communications majors (69.1%, 2,377 applicants) and psychology majors (69.1%, 4,265 applicants) both developed essential interpersonal and behavioral analysis skills. Sociology majors (64.7%, 2,194 applicants) proved particularly valuable for those targeting family law, immigration, and public defense.

The Cautionary Tales

Business administration majors showed a 63.8% acceptance rate (1,805 applicants), while criminal justice—despite seeming like the “logical” choice—had only a 56.2% acceptance rate (3,762 applicants). This last statistic surprises many, suggesting that admissions committees value broader intellectual foundations over narrow specialization.

Students from other major categories achieved just 57.4% acceptance, highlighting how major selection genuinely impacts admissions outcomes.

Why Pre-Law Majors Underperform

Counterintuitively, pre-law majors don’t deliver the advantage students expect. Because these programs are considered relatively accessible, they may actually weaken your application compared to majors for law school applicants with more rigorous coursework. Law schools favor candidates who’ve challenged themselves across demanding disciplines.

The Real Selection Strategy

The data reveals that law schools value intellectual rigor and well-rounded development over pre-professional packaging. Your ideal major should meet three criteria: it must challenge you academically, align with your interests, and develop research, critical reading, and analytical writing skills. Whether you choose history, economics, philosophy, or another discipline, your undergraduate GPA and LSAT performance will ultimately matter more than your specific major—but selecting from higher-performing fields certainly doesn’t hurt your chances.