So, you’re prepping to dominate the LSAT, but you’re not sure which test prep review program will give you the biggest bump on your score. Let our exclusive Kaplan vs Princeton Review LSAT head-to-head matchup help.
Price
$799-$1,499
$799-$1,799
Practice Tests
60+
60+
Practice Questions
8,000
8,000
Content Access Period
1 Year
6 Months
Standout Features
Best online LSAT prep
Excellent lesson videos
Money-back Guarantees
Yes
Yes
Before we get into the comparisons feature by feature, let’s briefly outline the respective highlights and explore the relative pros and cons of Kaplan LSAT prep courses vs the Princeton Review LSAT prep courses.
Kaplan LSAT Prep
Kaplan is arguably the world’s most recognizable and widely used test prep company. It’s been around since 1938 and has essentially become a household name in that time.
We previously named Kaplan the #1 live online LSAT prep course in honor of its superb digital instruction. For a full-throated examination of Kaplan LSAT prep, visit our Kaplan LSAT prep review.
Kaplan LSAT pros:
- Best online prep course w/ small class sizes
- High-quality physical textbooks that complement online lessons
- Every official LSAT question ever released is included in practice questions
- Financing option available (see FAQs)
Kaplan LSAT cons:
- No specific score guarantee available (as opposed to 165+ option for The Princeton Review)
- Online videos have a little lower production value compared to The Princeton Review)
One Reddit user reported that he/she increased his/her score by seven points using Kaplan. Another Redditor claimed a 13-point increase.
Reddit user mmmackle says:
“I’ve taken the aforementioned $1,000+ Kaplan course and found that it was definitely not a waste of time. Plus they do use actual LSAT questions (every single question they’ve used in the course, at least) and provide access to more online resources tutorials, and extra questions and explanations than I know what to do with.”
Kaplan has a 4.6/5 star rating on TrustPilot (out of 4,802 reviews) – making it the most thoroughly vetted test prep company anywhere.
Overall, Kaplan is our top pick, the reasoning why – we’ll get to later in this review.
LSAT Prep Courses & Test Prep | Kaplan Test Prep
For those who are interested in live online or who thrive in small class sizes, this may be the perfect LSAT course for you.
- Small live class option (only 5-15 students)
- Includes every official LSAT question every released
- A set of LSAT prep books
- Expensive
The Princeton Review LSAT Prep
The Princeton Review is the Red Sox to Kaplan’s Yankees (or The Ohio State to its Michigan; pick your sports metaphor) – i.e., its chief rival in test prep.
Having been a major industry player since the 1980s, The Princeton Review has attracted in excess of 400 million students worldwide to its various test prep programs.
To learn more, check out our Review of the Princeton Review LSAT prep.
The Princeton Review LSAT pros:
- Excellent online videos with helpful explanations
- Easily accessible instructors
- 165+ score guarantee available
The Princeton Review LSAT cons:
- Inferior, less user-friendly platform compared to Kaplan
- Less well-reviewed overall by real users
Reddit user alexgirard7 gave a thorough and thoughtful review of TPR’s LSAT program. Here are some of the highlights:
“I had an awesome professor/teacher, who was entirely enthusiastic about teaching 21 of us for 3 months straight, two times a week, 3.5 hours each class. Professor was great, and very smart and knowledgeable…
I enjoyed my course. Was it worth almost $2,000 dollars? We’ll see on august 31😂 if not, I’ll get my money back and am retaking it in Sept/October anyways.”
According to the company (so take the claim with a grain of salt), test-takers, on average, benefit from a 12-point increase in scores from the initial test to their top proctored practice test (when taking all six).
The Princeton Review currently has a 4.6/5-star rating on TrustPilot (out of 1,880 reviews).
LSAT Test Prep | The Princeton Review
With a score guarantee of 165+, you can rest assured that if you put in the time (84 hours worth), you will see the results! Get 15% off with code: TPN15
- Score guarantee course options
- In person, live online, on demand
- High amount of classroom hours
- Expensive for score guarantee course
Features Face to Face
As the chart at the top of the review shows, there’s a lot of parity between Kaplan vs Princeton Review LSAT courses – but also important differences we’ll flesh out moving forward.
Here, we’ll venture deep into the weeds to compare and contrast the programs offered by the two biggest names in LSAT prep.
Price
There is more or less price parity between the two companies.
Keep in mind that they are both markedly more expensive than some other LSAT prep courses, as the high-profile brands Kaplan and The Princeton Review leverage their notoriety to justify adding a premium to their price tags.
Most Affordable LSAT Course
$799
$799
Most Expensive LSAT Course
$1,499
$1,799
Here are the course options from Kaplan, from least to most expensive:
- Kaplan LSAT On Demand ($799)
- Kaplan Live Online ($1,199)
- Kaplan LSAT In-Person ($1,499)
And the courses from The Princeton Review, likewise in order of affordability:
- The Princeton Review Self-Paced LSAT Online ($799)
- The Princeton Review LSAT Fundamentals ($1,049)
- The Princeton Review 165+ Guaranteed ($1,799)
LSAT Practice Questions & Tests
Both Kaplan and The Princeton Review offer 8,000+ LSAT practice questions, so by volume they are virtually identical. But, as the saying goes, it’s usually about quality, not quantity.
Thanks to the LSAC LawHub subscription that you’re required to purchase through Kaplan (for $99/year), you’ll enjoy access to 3 full-length timed LSAT practice tests. The first one is taken prior to the course to assess your current proficiency, the second is given mid-course, and the third is administered at the conclusion of the course to measure your improvement.
The Princeton Review facilitates access to 70+ practice tests through your LSAT Prep Plus® membership included in the package cost. (If you’re already a member they’ll lower the package cost, so don’t worry about paying double.)
The Princeton Review online library features 150 hours of high-quality online lessons that consist of practice problems, drills, and written lessons. Taken all together, TPR offers an impressive 1,800+ pages of study materials, so you’ll never have to fret about running out of resources.
I would highly recommend Kaplan’s complementary study plan. It was a huge help to optimize my study strategy.
The Kaplan physical textbooks that you receive via mail shortly after registration are thorough and comprehensive. I would definitely recommend them over The Princeton Review for the companionship of the online courses with the physical book homework. If the physical aesthetic of a meaty book that you can paw through fits your learning style, definitely consider this an advantage.
Platform
Kaplan’s platform is extra-intuitive, glossy, and navigable. While it is superior to The Princeton Review, both companies have clearly invested substantially into their platforms and it is an obvious strength for each compared to some other lower-budget prep companies.
The Kaplan LSAT Channel (as seen above) is a digital library housing a comprehensive selection of videos that supply additional instruction. They are most useful for targeting your weaknesses to improve scores in those particular areas of concern. Videos are easily searchable by topic, so they’re great quick references to use as needed while you work through the course materials.
The Princeton Review’s dashboard isn’t as impressive as Kaplan’s, but it’s solid and relatively intuitive. The big drawback of the Princeton Review platform is the lack of a mobile app, which many students (including myself) like to utilize when on-the-go. As far as the video quality goes, The Princeton Review slightly edges out Kaplan.
Instructors
Kaplan’s instructors are vetted top LSAT performers. They conduct both online and in-person courses. The instruction could be a little more engaging but, given the weighty nature of the subject matter, it’s understandable that some of it seems a little sluggish and dry.
The Princeton Review’s instructors are also industry leaders. As well, the company is well-known for the timely nature of its instructors’ responses to questions from students.
Score Guarantees and Refunds
Both companies offer score guarantees backed by refunds, but with important distinctions.
At a cost of $1,799, the biggest advantage of the premium that you pay for The Princeton Review 165+ Guaranteed is the very specific score guarantee. It’s legit and serves as a promise that your coursework will pay dividends.
For a more fulsome explanation of the particulars of The Princeton Review’s score guarantee, read the official terms and conditions policy.
Kaplan also backs up its courses with a Higher Score Guarantee (HSG), which is also legitimate. The essential difference that separates The Princeton Review’s guarantee from Kaplan’s is that Kaplan merely ensures that you will score higher than your baseline, whereas the 165+ program more explicitly promises a particular score.
Standout features
Let’s explore a few of the standout features of each company’s LSAT courses.
Free Trials
Join a Kaplan free trial with a live instructor at a time of your convenience. I did before taking the full course and it helped me get a feel for the real thing. It’s definitely worth giving a whirl if you’re on the fence about Kaplan.
The Princeton Review’s free resources are a little sparser. Occasionally they post free resources and live events on their website, but they’re not as robust or engaging as Kaplan’s free trial options.
For more free LSAT resources, check out Test Prep Nerd’s 39 Free LSAT Resources page.
Student Support
Both companies offer decent student support services, as they are well-staffed enough to reply to queries and technical issues relatively quickly.
The Princeton Review’s student support might be a little better than Kaplan’s, but they are both winners in this domain.
Kaplan vs Princeton Review LSAT – The Bottomline
Kaplan and The Princeton Review share many similarities in the LSAT material and instruction they offer, but there are worthwhile differences to consider.
Enroll in a Princeton Review LSAT course if:
- You want a more explicit score guarantee
- Video quality is important to you
- Fast customer service is a priority
Enroll in a Kaplan LSAT course if:
- You’re interested in all-online instruction
- The quality of physical textbooks matters
- You want to test-drive the platform beforehand (with superior trial options)
- You need to finance your course
LSAT Prep Courses & Test Prep | Kaplan Test Prep
For those who are interested in live online or who thrive in small class sizes, this may be the perfect LSAT course for you.
- Small live class option (only 5-15 students)
- Includes every official LSAT question every released
- A set of LSAT prep books
- Expensive
If you’re not swayed to sign up for either Kaplan or The Princeton Review based on this review, let not your heart be troubled. The good news is that there are tons of competing options to sort through. Check out our full list of the best LSAT prep courses to learn about alternative prep providers and what they have to offer.
Kaplan vs Princeton Review LSAT FAQs
Let’s answer a few of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) that students have when comparing and contrasting Kaplan and The Princeton Review LSAT courses.
Which course is better – Kaplan or The Princeton Review for in-person courses?
Kaplan’s in-person courses are better overall than The Princeton Review.
Do both courses come with hardcopy books?
Yes. Both courses offer hardcopy books.
Are there payment plans to help pay for these courses over time?
Yes, with Kaplan. Kaplan uses a third-party financial service called Affirm that allows monthly payment plans. The Princeton Review requires payment in full before the start of the course.
