Kaplan Survey: Another Fierce Law School Admissions Cycle Looms Large, Driven by Politics
The red-hot law school application boom, fueled by a nearly 20 percent surge in applicants last cycle, shows no signs of cooling, according to a new survey of law school admissions officers by global education company Kaplan.* A combined 90 percent said the 2025-2026 application cycle would be at least as competitive as the 2024-2025 cycle. Of that 90 percent, 13 percent said it would be "much more competitive", 35 percent said it would be "somewhat more competitive", and 42 percent said the level of competitiveness would remain "about the same."
Looking back on the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, 7 percent of survey respondents said the current political climate in the U.S. was the main factor behind the applicant surge, with another 49 percent saying it was a major driver of the increase. Another 38 percent said the political climate moderately drove the increase. Just 5 percent called it a slight factor or non-factor; 1 percent weren't sure.
Admissions officers who participated in Kaplan's survey shared the following anecdotes:
- "The increased competitiveness is a double-edged sword as it should increase the talent level for the legal community at the expense of excluding many candidates who would have been excellent contributors to the field."
- "The current political and economic climate has made law school increasingly attractive for a wide range of applicants. Legal issues, particularly in areas like constitutional law, civil rights, and the role of the courts, are at the forefront of national conversation, prompting many to see a law degree as a way to engage meaningfully with pressing societal questions."
- "I think the profession suffers if law schools get greedy and bring in significantly larger classes than the market can feasibly support down the road, as we saw in 2009-2011, but that may not have recurred to the same degree this past year."
Krystin Major, director of LSAT® programs, Kaplan, said:
"At Kaplan, over the past year, we've seen a massive increase in the number of students preparing for the LSAT, a strong indication that the number of law school applicants will remain at historically high levels, making it imperative for prospective students to put together the strongest application possible. And given the intensity of today's political climate, we believe politics will continue to exert a strong influence on applicant trends. While we understand that passions are high, we remind prospective law students that the primary reason to pursue a J.D. should be to practice law—and not just for the next four years, but for the next 40. We encourage every potential applicant to be introspective and make that decision with purpose. A career in law can be both rewarding and fulfilling, but it requires thinking not only about the present moment, but about the long road ahead."
Contact [email protected] to speak with a law school admissions expert at Kaplan.
*Admissions officers from 82 of the nation's 197 American Bar Association-accredited law schools were polled by Kaplan via email between July and August 2025. Among the 82 law schools that participated are 23 of the top 50, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
LSAT® is a registered trademark of Law School Admission Council, Inc. which does not review or endorse specific test preparation materials or services.
About Kaplan
Kaplan, Inc. is a global educational services company that helps individuals and institutions advance their goals in an ever-changing world. Our broad portfolio of solutions help students and professionals further their education and careers, universities and educational institutions attract and support students, and businesses maximize employee recruitment, retainment, and development. Stanley Kaplan founded our company in 1938 with a mission to expand educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Today, our thousands of employees working in 27 countries/regions continue Stanley's mission as they serve about 1.3 million students and professionals, 16,000 corporate clients, and 2,700 schools, school districts, colleges, and universities worldwide. Kaplan is a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company (NYSE:GHC). Learn more at kaplan.com.
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Russell Schaffer, [email protected]