Villanova censured for inflating GPAs, LSAT scores

VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Villanova University’s law school has been censured for knowingly misreporting admissions data to the American Bar Association.

School officials say staff members inflated grade-point averages and scores on the Law School Admissions Test. Both data sets often factor into law school rankings.

Law school Dean John Gotanda says Villanova’s median LSAT scores were padded by two to three points between 2005 and 2009. The median GPA was inflated up to 0.16 points.

Gotanda says Villanova began an internal investigation in January, shortly after he took office. The school self-reported its findings to the bar association, which issued a public censure Monday.

Villanova is a private Catholic university outside Philadelphia.