Penn Carey is Pennsylvania’s national-elite law school; Temple and Villanova are the strongest Philadelphia regional alternatives; Pitt and Duquesne anchor Pittsburgh; Drexel offers a strong experiential Philadelphia path.
Temple’s Fall 2026 class reports a 165 median LSAT and 3.77 GPA. Pitt’s 2026 profile reports a 163 median LSAT and 3.58 GPA. Those numbers help orient the middle of the state market, but geography and net cost matter more than rank alone.
| Market / goal | Best places to start |
|---|---|
| National BigLaw | Penn Carey |
| Philadelphia regional practice | Temple, Villanova, Drexel |
| Pittsburgh / Western PA | Pitt, Duquesne |
| Public-school value | Temple, Pitt, Penn State options |
Temple combines public-school pricing, Philadelphia location and elite trial-advocacy depth. Villanova offers a strong suburban Philadelphia network and private-school employer base. Compare scholarships rather than assuming one is categorically better.
Pitt’s current 2026 profile reports a 163 median LSAT and resident tuition of $40,734. It is the strongest public-school option for the Pittsburgh market.
Penn Carey is the strongest national option; Temple/Villanova and Pitt are stronger regional-value plays.
165 for the 2026 entering class.
163 for its current 2026 class profile.
Current figures come from Temple Law’s 2026 entering profile and Pitt Law’s 2026 class profile.
Written by Ali Unar, Founder, Lovare Institut. Updated September 19, 2026.