ABA 509 DATA BY STATE, 2025
Law Schools in Pennsylvania: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2025)
"Go to the cheapest school that gets you where you want to go." That's the standard advice in every law school video, and Pennsylvania has 8 ABA schools to test it on, a median LSAT of 160 and a median GPA of 3.8 across them. Temple is the proof: $48,996 a year, the cheapest sticker in the state.
Every ABA law school in Pennsylvania
Ranked by median LSAT, highest first. Every school's own page has the full 25th/50th/75th breakdown, cost, and job outcomes.
| School | LSAT 50th | GPA 50th | Accept. rate | Sticker/yr | FT/LT jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Carey | 173 | 4.0 | 8.1% | $78,348 | 99.7% |
| Temple | 165 | 3.8 | 24.4% | $48,996 | 94.2% |
| Villanova | 164 | 3.8 | 25.9% | $59,800 | 93% |
| Drexel | 160 | 3.8 | 29.6% | $57,000 | 91.2% |
| Pittsburgh | 160 | 3.5 | 34.9% | $53,434 | 89% |
| Penn State Dickinson | 159 | 3.7 | 43% | $60,048 | 93.9% |
| Duquesne | 157 | 3.6 | 43.2% | $58,898 | 94.3% |
| Widener PA | 150 | 3.3 | 60.4% | N/A on file | 77.3% |
See what 1 extra LSAT point is worth in grants at each school above.
Reading the Pennsylvania market
Pennsylvania runs the full range, from a T14 at one end to a school most applicants can get into at the other. Penn Carey sits alone at the top with a 173 median LSAT, a 4.0 GPA, and an 8.1% acceptance rate. Temple (165 LSAT, 24.4% acceptance) and Villanova (164 LSAT, 25.9% acceptance) form a strong second tier. Drexel and Pitt both land at a 160 median LSAT with acceptance rates in the high 20s to mid 30s. Widener PA anchors the bottom at a 150 median LSAT and a 60.4% acceptance rate, the most realistic admit in the state.
The cost spread here is wide. Temple charges $48,996 a year, the cheapest sticker among Pennsylvania's 8 schools, while Penn Carey charges $78,348, close to $30,000 more every year. Over 3 years that's an $88,000 gap before living costs. Penn Carey discounts the least, at 59.3%, the price of sitting at the top.
Job outcomes track pretty closely with admissions selectivity, but not perfectly. Penn Carey posts a 99.7% FT/LT placement rate, about as close to universal as this data gets. Duquesne (94.3%), Temple (94.2%), and Penn State Dickinson (93.9%) all clear 93%, proof that a T14 name isn't required for strong outcomes in this state. Widener PA sits lowest at 77.3%, the tradeoff for the easiest admit.
Pennsylvania is a honestly strong state to go to law school in if you're not chasing a T14 seat. Temple and Villanova both post outcomes in the low-to-mid 90s at a fraction of Penn Carey's price, and Philadelphia's legal market is big enough to absorb graduates from several schools without everyone competing for the same jobs. If your numbers put you within reach of Penn Carey, that's still the strongest outcome-to-cost ratio in the state despite the sticker price. If they don't, Temple's the one to run through the calculator first.
FAQ
How many ABA-accredited law schools are in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has 8 ABA-accredited law schools: Penn Carey, Temple, Villanova, Drexel, Pitt, Penn State Dickinson, Duquesne, and Widener PA.
What's the easiest law school to get into in Pennsylvania?
Widener PA, with a 150 median LSAT and a 60.4% acceptance rate, the softest numbers among Pennsylvania's 8 schools. Easiest still means a real application, not a guarantee.
What's the cheapest law school in Pennsylvania?
Temple, at $48,996 a year in sticker tuition, the lowest of Pennsylvania's 8 schools and nearly $30,000 less than Penn Carey.
Which Pennsylvania law school has the best job placement?
Penn Carey, at 99.7% full-time, long-term employment within 10 months of graduation, the strongest outcome of any school in the state.
Is it worth going to law school in Pennsylvania if I don't plan to practice there?
For the schools with strong FT/LT numbers, yes. Penn Carey and Temple both place graduates well above 90%, and outcomes that strong travel across state lines even without local bar-passage data to lean on. For a school posting outcomes closer to Widener PA's 77.3%, the calculation gets harder if you're not staying local to use the school's own network.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Information Reports, 2015 to 2025, via LSAT Unplugged's 509 master. Verify against each school's own filing before relying on it. Last updated 2026-10-05.
