Total LSAT test-takers remain steady for 2016-2017 and fourth consecutive admissions cycle
Last year, I noted that we have seen fairly steady numbers of LSAT test-takers, at least at the top line level. That looks to hold true this cycle. In soon-to-be-disclosed statistics, October (well, September/October) 2016 test-takers were up 1.0% over last October 2015, as 33,563 took the test last month. First-time test-takers were down slightly, down 0.4%.
Below is a visualization of cumulative test-takers who took the July and October administrations of the LSAT. These have consistently been about 55% of the total LSAT test-takers in an admissions cycle (the remaining 45% taking the test in December or February.)
For the fourth straight year, cumulative LSATs have hovered between 53,000 and 57,000. (This includes American and Canadian test-takers, first-timers and repeaters.) It's hard to resist the temptation to call this level the "new normal."