2026 Best Legal Research Schools in Pennsylvania
Legal Research degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools to find the best for legal research students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Legal Research in Pennsylvania
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the legal research degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Legal Research
Leading the list is University Of Pennsylvania, our #1 school for legal research. University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. University Of Pennsylvania graduates 96% of students within six years. University Of Pennsylvania awarded about 102 legal research degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, legal research degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $99,682. Students borrow a median of $16,155 to complete this degree.
Read more about the legal research program at University Of Pennsylvania
A rank of #2 makes Villanova University one of the top schools for legal research. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Villanova. Villanova University graduates 92% of students within six years. There were roughly 90 legal research students who graduated with this degree at Villanova University in the most recent data year. Legal Research graduates of Villanova University earn a median of $72,601 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,184.
Get the full legal research details for Villanova University
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best legal research schools. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of University Park. About 86% of students finish within six years. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus awarded about 179 legal research degrees in the most recent data year.
Get the full legal research details for Pennsylvania State University Main Campus
Temple University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in legal research, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a very large public institution. Temple University graduates 75% of students within six years. Temple University awarded about 107 legal research degrees in the most recent data year. Legal Research graduates of Temple University earn a median of $102,915 early in their careers. Temple University graduates carry a median of $26,259 in student loans.
See the full legal research program report for Temple University
Drexel University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best legal research schools. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Philadelphia. The six-year graduation rate is 78%. There were roughly 38 legal research students who graduated with this degree at Drexel University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the legal research program make about $62,692 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,978.
See the full legal research program report for Drexel University
Widener University Main Campus landed the #6 spot for legal research this year. Located in the suburb of Chester, Widener University Main Campus is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. About 68% of students finish within six years. Widener University Main Campus awarded about 48 legal research degrees in the most recent data year. Legal Research graduates of Widener University Main Campus earn a median of $60,864 early in their careers. Widener University Main Campus graduates carry a median of $26,561 in student loans.
Get the full legal research details for Widener University Main Campus
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earned the #7 position for legal research this year. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 86%. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus awarded about 57 legal research degrees in the most recent data year. Legal Research graduates of University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn a median of $64,062 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,872 to complete this degree.
Read more about the legal research program at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus
More Legal Research Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 12 schools evaluated.
- 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.
