Temple University Beasley School of Law is again one of the top law schools, both nationally and regionally, based on graduates’ salary-to-debt ratio, according to a July 2026 U.S. News & World Report ranking. Temple Law graduates reported a 2024 median private sector starting salary of $155,000 and an average debt of $81,232, placing Temple Law 10th in the U.S. News ranking. By comparison, across the 127 ranked law schools, graduates carried an average debt of $107,329 against a median private sector starting salary of $112,802. Temple Law’s impressive ranking highlights the law school’s enduring commitment to access and excellence, providing an unparalleled legal education in a highly cost-effective manner.
“We know cost is one of the first things prospective students consider, and with the changes to federal student lending it will weigh even more heavily,” said Johanne Johnston, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid. “Debt and future compensation potential are understandably critical factors for law school applicants. That our salary-to-debt ratio held for a second consecutive year reflects the durability of our commitment to providing the best value possible for our students.”
Behind the debt and salary numbers, collected by Temple Law’s Office of Career Strategy & Professional Development, the Class of 2025, as a whole, posted strong employment results in a year when the national legal market contracted slightly. Out of 195 students, 96.4% were employed ten months after graduation, against a national employment rate of 92.8% reported by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP). Some 183 graduates, 93.8% of the class, held full-time, long-term positions requiring bar passage or where a J.D. provided an advantage. Notably, all 20 Evening Division students in the Class of 2025 who were seeking employment secured full-time, long-term positions that either required bar passage or for which a J.D. provided an advantage.
Graduates found work across a wide range of employers. Of the 102 graduates who entered law firms, 60 joined firms with more than 100 attorneys, including 33 at firms of more than 500 attorneys. Thirty-three graduates joined firms with fewer than 50 attorneys.
“Even as Big Law firms recruit students earlier and earlier, our students remain extremely competitive in the market,” said Jim Walsh, Assistant Dean, Career Strategy & Professional Development. “Law firms are increasingly seeking students who are as practice-ready as possible when they exit law school.”
“We can credit our students’ success in this fast-paced and intense recruiting environment to the law school’s longstanding reputation for producing graduates who have a powerful work ethic and are well prepared for practice,” Walsh continued. “This success is fortified by the generous support of our alumni and our Comprehensive Professional Development Program.”
The Comprehensive Professional Development Program prepares students for the practical realities of the profession, with programming on topics such as developing a professional network, building a career at a small or mid-sized law firm, and careers in compliance and ethics.
It is also important to note that nearly 40% of employed Temple Law graduates entered public service — compared to the 31% national figure reported by NALP — at a time when public service hiring declined across the country. Twenty-four took roles with public interest organizations, and 30 obtained judicial clerkships at the federal, state, local, and territorial levels. The balance of graduates who found employment in the public service area (20) entered government practice, a decrease from the previous year that tracks a 37% drop in federal legal hiring nationally.
“Seventy-four members of this class went into clerkships, government, or public interest work,” Walsh said. “That high number persists year after year because our graduates can afford to make that choice — when students finish with debt well below the national average, their employment options are much less restricted, and they have the opportunity to pursue positions that allow them to serve the public without facing financial hardship.”
Geographically, 2025 graduates are working in 15 states, though most are starting their careers close to home. Pennsylvania employed 127, followed by Delaware with 15 and New Jersey with 13, putting more than 82% of employed graduates in the tri-state region.
“Affordability is a critical factor for prospective law students, and it is imperative that we do everything we can to alleviate their financial concerns,” said Kean Family Dean Lonnie T. Brown, Jr. “Making a Temple Law education increasingly accessible and producing ethical, highly skilled graduates who are committed and able to practice in roles that serve the broader public good are central to the law school’s mission and future direction.”