Pre-Law major
Pre-Law: courses, careers, and where to study
Pre-Law isn't a major itself but a track — students major in any field while taking the courses, building the GPA, and earning the LSAT score for law school admission.
Pre-Law is an advisory track, not a degree. Law schools admit applicants from every undergraduate major and explicitly value diversity of academic background. The strongest pre-law preparation focuses on three things: a high GPA in a rigorous major (top-10 majors for LSAT performance include History, Economics, Political Science, Math, Philosophy, English, and Mathematical Sciences), strong analytical writing, and a competitive LSAT score (national median 152; top-14 schools target 170+).
Undergraduate pre-law tracks usually layer on courses in constitutional law, legal writing, ethics, and logic. CampusPin's pre-law tag identifies schools that publish pre-law advising structure. Graduates apply to law school during senior year (or take a "K-JD" gap year or two before applying).
What you'll study
- A rigorous undergraduate major (most often Political Science, History, Economics, English, or Philosophy)
- Constitutional law fundamentals
- Legal writing and reasoning
- Logic
- Ethics
- LSAT preparation
- A strong GPA
- Pre-law advising and law-school application strategy
Typical careers
- Lawyer (with JD)
- Paralegal (no JD required)
- Compliance Officer
- Policy Analyst
- Lobbyist
- Federal Investigator (FBI/DEA)
Starting salary range: After JD: $58,000–$215,000 starting (huge spread by firm tier)
Find a Pre-Law program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges that offer Pre-Law programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting — no account required.
Related majors
Political Science
Political Science studies governments, political behavior, and policy — preparing graduates for law school, public service, journalism, and policy research.
History
History trains graduates in research, evidence, and argument — feeding into law, education, museums, government, and any field that values long-form analytical writing.
Economics
Economics studies how individuals, firms, and governments allocate resources — combining theory with empirical analysis and a strong mathematical foundation.
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice studies the institutions and practices of policing, courts, and corrections — preparing graduates for law enforcement, probation, corrections, and law school.