by our College Data Analytics Team
[Legal Research](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/legal-research/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a legal research degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find where legal research graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose legal research graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Temple University the top school for legal research graduate earnings in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a public institution. Students who complete the legal research program here go on to a median salary of roughly $121,289.
A rank of #2 makes Drexel University one of the highest-paying schools for legal research. Drexel University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. After graduating, legal research degree recipients from Drexel University typically earn about $64,213 annually.
Widener University Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying legal research schools. Located in the suburb of Chester, Widener University Main Campus is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the legal research program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,106.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their legal research graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.