2027 Best Value Legal Research Schools in Pennsylvania

[Legal Research](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-research/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong legal research education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for legal research students.
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2027 Best Value Legal Research Schools in Pennsylvania
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in legal research, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Legal Research Schools
University Of Pennsylvania tops our 2027 list of the best value legal research schools in Pennsylvania. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,686. Legal Research graduates carry a median of $16,155 in student loans. Soon after graduation, legal research degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $99,682. That is a strong return on a $16,155 median debt. University Of Pennsylvania admits about 5% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Temple University earned it the #2 place for legal research. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,005, with out-of-state students paying around $38,805. Legal Research graduates carry a median of $26,259 in student loans. Legal Research graduates of Temple University earn a median of $102,915 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Widener University Main Campus earned it the #3 place for legal research. Widener University Main Campus is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Chester. In-state tuition and fees average $55,730. Students borrow a median of $26,561 to complete the legal research program here. Soon after graduation, legal research degree recipients from Widener University Main Campus generally make around $60,864. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earned it the #4 place for legal research. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,926, with out-of-state students paying around $41,430. Legal Research graduates carry a median of $24,872 in student loans. Early-career legal research graduates make about $64,062. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Pennsylvania State University Main Campus one of the best values for legal research. Set in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $20,644, while out-of-state students pay about $41,790. Typical student debt for legal research graduates is $25,266. Legal Research graduates of Pennsylvania State University Main Campus earn a median of $60,523 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,266 median debt. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Drexel University came in at #6 for value in legal research this year. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,412 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,978 to complete the legal research program here. Early-career legal research graduates make about $62,692. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
Villanova University came in at #7 for value in legal research this year. Villanova University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Villanova. Students from in state pay about $67,776 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for legal research graduates is $26,184. Legal Research graduates of Villanova University earn a median of $72,601 early in their careers. Set against $26,184 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
More Legal Research Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.