The Princeton Review LSAT prep offers some of the most well-recognized and vetted programs to ready prospective law students for the often-challenging exam.
Here, we dive headlong into the course options, compare them to alternative prep companies’ courses, and answer some common questions about The Princeton Review (TPR) LSAT prep.
Self Paced
Fundamentals
165+ Guaranteed
Price
$799
$1,049
$1,799
Video Hours
150+
150+
150+
Classroom Hours
0
30
84
Practice Questions
8,000+
8,000+
8,000+
Practice Tests
70+
70+
70+
Books
5 Online + Hard copy
5 Online + Hard copy
5 Online + Hard Copy
Money-Back Guarantee
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free Trial
Yes
Yes
Yes
All About The Princeton Review LSAT Prep
The Princeton Review’s been around since the early 80s; since then, over 400 million students worldwide have utilized its services to prepare for a variety of standardized tests, including the LSAT.
The Princeton Review offers LSAT prep packages as on-demand (self-paced), live online, and in-person.
My Thoughts on the Princeton Review LSAT Course
Let’s round up the features of The Princeton Review LSAT courses and explore their respective benefits and drawbacks.
Quality of Lessons/Videos
With each Princeton Review LSAT prep option – live in-person, live online, or self-paced online – you get access to a treasure trove of over 150 hours of online lessons.
The online lessons feature drills, practice problems, and written lessons. Between these activities, lesson videos break up the monotony/drudgery of work at opportune intervals to dive into more details and provide additional context.
The videos are typically produced against a digital whiteboard and narrated with a voiceover. The delivery style mimics the experience of a university-level lecture. They are clear, logical, and easy to follow.
The overarching characteristic of all the lesson materials is their comprehensiveness. With 1,800+ total pages of study materials, The Princeton Review leaves no LSAT stone unturned.
My Rating: 4/5
LSAT Practice Tests
With each course option, preppers can test their current LSAT competency with over 70 real LSAT practice tests sampled from previous years.
Access to these Official LSAT PrepTests SM tests is provided via the complementary LSAT Prep Plus® membership automatically included in the package. LSAT Prep Plus is a subscription service from The Law School Admission Council.
However, access to these tests comes with an additional built-in $99 premium factored into your course cost. If you already have an LSAT Prep Plus membership, The Princeton Review will deduct that $99 from our course cost.
The bottom line: Princeton Review LSAT prep offers tons of practice tests. Moreover, they’re officially endorsed by the preeminent law school authority in the country, so they’re legit.
My Rating: 5/5
Quality of Explanations
Continuing on the comprehensiveness theme, The Princeton Review goes deep into their explanations using a variety of vehicles – videos, written explanations, graphics, etc.
In fact, it’s not beyond the pale to suggest that TPR might be #1 when it comes to the thoroughness of the study materials. Their explanations are both voluminous and richly detailed – the ideal quality/quantity combination.
Explanations for practice problems can be accessed as PDFs via the dashboard. Navigating to the right explanation based on the practice test or course book at hand is intuitive.
My Rating: 5/5
The Student Dashboard
Operationally, the dashboard’s nuts and bolts are solid. It’s mechanical and functional. Again, navigating the various course materials comes naturally. I encountered no significant technical issues while using it (which I did extensively).
Aesthetically, the dashboard lacks flair. The reason for its lackluster design perplexes; given all its resources, one wonders why The Princeton Review hasn’t revamped its look and feel.
Regardless, if you’re into function over form, the aesthetic issue likely won’t matter.
Also note: there is currently no mobile app available, so that’s something to consider if you prefer to use your phone to study.
My Rating: 3.5/5
What’s Student Support Like?
The Princeton Review staffs its customer service center well. I received timely responses to a couple of issues I experienced.
When you sign up for the LSAT Fundamentals and 165+ course, you also get after-hours access (outside of the digital classroom) access to your tutor who can help answer any prep-related questions.
For additional one-on-one tutoring, you can book this as an add-on to your course starting at $167 an hour. Check out our guide for more on the best LSAT tutors.
When you run into an issue – whether technical or substantive in nature — students can contact the Student Support Center or reach out by phone at 1-866-877-7737.
My Rating: 4.5/5
What’s the Refund Policy?
The Princeton Review markets its score guarantee as a pledge to increase your score – or else recover your investment. Let’s breakdown the (admittedly somewhat convoluted) refund policy by course type:
- When you enroll in an LSAT course, you can cancel your subscription within 7 days for a full refund (except in cases where your course has already begun).
- 8 days or more after enrollment, you can still get 100% of your money back if you haven’t accessed any online content (for the online course options).
- If you have enrolled in an online course, have already accessed online content, it’s been 8 days or more since you enrolled, and your class hasn’t begun yet, you qualify for a refund minus a $50 fee.
- If you have enrolled with the in-person Summer Immersion program with Room & Board, you can cancel for a full refund within 60 days of your class start date – again, with the caveat that you haven’t accessed any online content. If you have already accessed online content, you can recover 80% of your tuition costs.
If you’ve enrolled in a program with a score guarantee, you take the official test and do not improve your baseline score, you qualify for a full refund. However, several conditions apply: you are required to complete all coursework, attend all scheduled classes and take all required practice tests. You have 60 days following your official test date to appeal for a refund based on the score guarantee. Read the legalese fine print.
For more information, set aside some time to read the terms and conditions that you agree to when you sign up for a case. You’re a promising young lawyer, so take it as a free crash course in contract law.
My Rating: 4/5
What Are the Free Trial Options?
You can whet your LSAT appetite with a few pieces of free content from The Princeton Review – but there’s no all-inclusive free trial per se.
The company offers free practice tests online, free online strategy sessions, and occasionally offers other free courses. Check out their free practice tests and events page for updated information.
Despite the free content offered, the trial isn’t as robust as some competitors’ free trials, which often offer more unfettered access to a broader range of content.
The free practice tests and other features are decent, but they’re not going to give you a holistic idea of what the course material or studying process will be like.
As you can see from the analytics of my not-so-high practice LSAT attempt, there is not a lot of data broken out besides which questions are correct and in what category.
Overall, this free practice test from the Princeton Review can serve as showing you what your baseline score is, but not much more in terms of providing an additional study / review opportunity.
My Rating: 2.5/5
Princeton Review LSAT Course Options
You’ve got three essential course options, with important differences regarding cost, scheduling, score guarantees, and features.
The Princeton Review Self-Paced LSAT Course
Here are the key features of the self-paced course:
- Price: $799
- 150+ video instruction hours
- No in-class or live classroom instruction
- 8,000+ practice questions
- 70+ practice tests
- 1,800+ pages of study materials
- 5 hardcopy + digital books (LSAT 201 Patterns and Pacing, LSAT 301 Master the Approach, LSAT Diagnostic Exams, LSAT 101 Core Concepts, LSAT 401 Raising the Bar)
- Better score guarantee
The big advantages of the self-paced course over the upcoming 165+ and Fundamentals options are price and flexibility. It’s significantly more affordable than the other courses here and it’s also entirely self-paced and self-directed – a potential negative if you enjoy more structure but a potential positive if you like to work through study materials on your own time.
You also get a complementary LSAT Prep Plus® membership, a subscription service from The Law School Admission Council that provides real LSAT practice tests from previous years. Read on for more on the LSAT practice tests and how to use them.
The Princeton Review LSAT Fundamentals Course
The Princeton Review LSAT Fundamentals Course offers all the elements of the self-paced course plus 30 hours of in-person learning plus unfettered access to your tutor outside of the classroom to assist when you inevitably hit a snag with your prep materials.
Here are the key features and costs of the course:
- Price: $1,049
- 150+ hours of online content
- 30 hours of online instruction with a vetted LSAT expert instructor
- Instructor access outside of classroom hours
- 8,000+ practice questions
- 70+ full-length practice tests
- 5 hardcopy + digital books (LSAT 201 Patterns and Pacing, LSAT 301 Master the Approach, LSAT Diagnostic Exams, LSAT 101 Core Concepts, LSAT 401 Raising the Bar)
- Online score reports
- Better score guarantee
You automatically receive an LSAT Prep Plus® membership upon registration.
The Princeton Review LSAT prep Fundamentals course is about $250 more expensive than the self-paced online course, but if the live instruction and instructor access elements are worth the added extra cost, then go for this option.
The Princeton Review 165+ Guaranteed Course
The Princeton Review 165+ Guaranteed Course is similar to the Fundamentals course but with more live instruction and a very specific minimum score guarantee.
Here are the elements of the 165+ course:
- Price: $1,399
- 150+ hours of online content
- 84 hours of live instruction with a vetted LSAT expert instructor
- Instructor access outside of classroom hours
- 8,000+ practice questions
- 5 hardcopy + digital books (LSAT 201 Patterns and Pacing, LSAT 301 Master the Approach, LSAT Diagnostic Exams, LSAT 101 Core Concepts, LSAT 401 Raising the Bar)
- 70+ full-length practice tests
- Online score reports
- 165 LSAT score guaranteed
As with the other options here, you qualify for an LSAT Prep Plus® membership with the 165+ course.
If you want even more live instruction hours and a rock-solid score guarantee, consider biting the bullet and enrolling in the 165 course.
If you aim to get into a leading law school, the specific score guarantee is a great way to make sure your investment pays off – but, at $1,399, it will cost a premium.
Princeton Review LSAT Reviews from REAL Students
Let’s take a look-see around the web to get a feel for what real students (with no ostensible bias) have to say about their experience with Princeton Review. Reddit user u/mathdude3 cites a 12-16-point increase from his baseline since utilizing The Princeton Review LSAT prep course. This score increase range is generally within the reported average and reasonable to expect if your initial score was similar to his (which was 156).
Reddit user /DelightfulCynic, like many, recommends alternatives to The Princeton Review – in this case, a combination of 7Sage and Blueprint. As a matter of fact, you could enroll in both of these prep companies and still save money compared to The Princeton Review – so, when budgetary concerns are prime, that’s a big factor to consider.
On TrustPilot, Assat Feder mentioned that, as a speaker of English as a second language, he appreciated the instruction and it made understanding the LSAT easier.
The web is heavily saturated with The Princeton Review LSAT ads due to the aggressive marketing practices of the company. As a matter of fact, after reading this and other LSAT guides, you might notice an uptick in ads from the company.
Always look for unbiased sources when looking into The Princeton Review or any prep service. TrustPilot, Reddit, and Facebook, which may feature paid content but more often than not are written by everyday test-takers with no incentive to mislead you, are good places to start.
Who Needs the Princeton Review LSAT Prep Course?
The Princeton Review might be right for you if:
- High volume/quality of prep materials is your top priority
- You want a specific score guarantee (for the 165+ course)
- Support from top-rated tutors is important (for the 165+ and Fundamentals courses)
Princeton Review LSAT Course Alternatives
Don’t rush into a multi-hundred-dollar decision regarding your LSAT course without first considering your options. There has always been a plethora of LSAT prep courses since the LSAT was a thing, and this trend has only accelerated with the advent of the internet and online learning.
Here is a trio of the top alternatives to The Princeton Review, each with its respective standout features. Depending on your needs and learning style, one of these might be a better fit. For a more exhaustive exploration of LSAT courses, check out the Test Prep Nerds compendium of best LSAT prep courses.
Blueprint LSAT
Blueprint LSAT promises to boost students’ scores by at least 15 points, and back it up with a refund guarantee.
Blueprint’s major selling point is its jazzy, intuitive, aesthetically sublime student dashboard. For a high-quality live on-demand class, take a hard look at Blueprint LSAT.
For more detailed information on Blueprint and its relative pros and cons, head over to our Blueprint LSAT Review.
LSAT prep course with a customizable Study Planner tool and super granular analytics for targeting weak areas.
- Can pick instructors before enrolling in live online course
- Average score increase of 11 points
- Easy to use customizable study planner
- Pricey
Kaplan LSAT
In terms of name recognition and market dominance in the test prep industry, arguably only Kaplan LSAT gives The Princeton Review a run for its money.
The big advantage Kaplan enjoys over Princeton Review is the unrivaled quality of instruction. If live instruction performed by legitimate experts is a priority for you, consider Kaplan.
See more of our thoughts in this Kaplan vs Princeton Review LSAT showdown.
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
PowerScore LSAT
PowerScore LSAT is an up-and-coming name in LSAT prep.
We recently rated PowerScore the best in-person LSAT prep course.
If you have the good fortune to live near a city that hosts PowerScore in-person classes, and you learn more effectively in an in-person environment, you should definitely look into this company.
The lowest-priced course costs $299, significantly less than Kaplan’s. However, there are fewer practice questions, fewer video lessons, and no money-back score guarantee offered.
Some of the best in person courses offered, students who are looking for that real classroom feel would be lucky to be in the select cities offering PowerScore LSAT courses.
- High amount of live instruction hours
- Classes led by 170+ scorers
- All LSAC licensed practice tests
- Proctored exams imitate test day experience
- In person courses only in larger metropolitan areas
Princeton Review LSAT Prep FAQs
Let’s review a few of the most common questions regarding The Princeton Review’s LSAT prep courses. To get answers to any questions not covered here, visit The Princeton Review’s official FAQs page.
Is The Princeton Review LSAT course worth it?
Yes, but with caveats. It is more expensive than some online options that are also well-reviewed, but it offers a lot that they can’t: live instruction options, hardcopy books, and robust student support.
Is The Princeton Review better than Kaplan?
That largely depends on what you’re specifically looking for in a prep course. Kaplan’s live instructors are superior to The Princeton Review but TPR enjoys a slight edge vis-a-vis study materials and books.
Do I need an LSAT prep course to do well on the test?
Most likely, yes. Research indicates that an organized, committed test prep program statistically raises student scores. Some students may not need a course to do well, but to get into competitive law schools, chances are you need the boost that a high-quality prep course can provide.
The Bottom line on The Princeton Review LSAT Prep Course
The Princeton Review has climbed to its position atop the test prep industry on its merits. That said, the caveat is that it might not be perfect for everyone. Here’s what to consider when weighing the pros and cons:
- The company has been around for over four decades and has a stellar overall reputation
- Logical, progressive modules build on each other nicely for smooth progress
- The volume and quality of LSAT study materials are industry-leading
- There’s no mobile app currently available
- Significantly more affordable, self-paced online prep options are available that might be a better fit for some students (and their budgets)
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