Temple University
- Graduation Rate
- 75% B
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $63,727 A-
- Well above the typical college graduate
- Net Price
- $28,198 F
- 65% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 80% C
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 15.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $15.1 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $15.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,589,579.
What The Data Says
-
A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduates earn 56% more than the national college median.
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A 75% graduation rate — 31% above the national average.
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Social mobility rate of 3.30% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
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Every $1 invested returns $15.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- World Rank
- #351-400
- Times Higher Education
- Research Score
- 19/100
- Times Higher Education
Why Temple University Matters
Temple University is a public research university in Philadelphia, PA ranked #351-400 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a top-tier research enterprise, a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network, and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R1 · Very High Research
- Enrollment
- 20,970
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Communications, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose Temple University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Accessible — admits about 80% of applicants. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $28,198 a year after grants and scholarships — 65% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $63,727 ten years after enrolling — 56% above the typical college, against $24,395 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 3.3% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 7% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.62 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
At Temple University, we find a vibrant community of nearly 21,000 students, making it a great fit for those who thrive in a bustling urban environment. The school is particularly well-regarded for its programs in Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Communications, Visual & Performing Arts, and Biology & Biomedical. This diversity in study areas means students can pursue a wide range of interests while benefiting from the resources and connections that come with being in a major city like Philadelphia.
After graduation, students can expect solid earning potential, with a median income of around $63,727 ten years post-graduation. This figure suggests that a degree from Temple can open doors, helping graduates move into promising careers. The affordability of education here is also noteworthy, especially considering the 32% of students who receive Pell Grants, making it an accessible choice for many.
When it comes to the financials, the net price after aid sits at $28,198, while the median debt is manageable at $24,395. This combination allows students to focus on their studies without the overwhelming burden of debt. Those who typically thrive at Temple are often self-motivated and eager to engage with the diverse opportunities around them, both on campus and in the broader Philadelphia area.
Rankings
- #11 Best Communications Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #27 Best Computer Science Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #27 Best Data Science Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #30 Best MBA Programs in Pennsylvania
- #34 Best Business Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #36 Best Online Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #44 Best Education Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #47 Best Bachelor's Programs in Pennsylvania
Can I Get In?
How selective Temple University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Temple University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Temple University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 80%. The graduation rate is roughly 75%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 80%
- Retention Rate
- 83%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 57%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $12,479
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 12:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.76
- First-Gen Students
- 30%
- Applicants
- 38,666
- Admitted
- 30,817
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Temple University is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds.
- Submitted SAT
- 18%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 2%
- of enrolled freshmen
Test-optional, in practice. Only about 20% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Temple University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Temple University is $38,958, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $28,198. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,694 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $24,395 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $23,011
- Out-of-State
- $38,958
- Avg Net Price
- $28,198
- Median Debt
- $24,395
- Pell Grant Rate
- 32%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 53%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $22,694
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $23,431
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $26,534
- Family Income $110K+
- $34,947
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Temple University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Temple University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Temple University earn a median of $63,727, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $50,860
- 8 Years
- $59,076
- 10 Years
- $63,727
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.38x
- Earning > $25K
- 72%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (2,469)
- 55%
- 100% (2,469)
- 55%
- 100% (2,469)
- 55%
- 100% (2,469)
- 55%
How Temple Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Temple University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Temple University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $28,198/year ($112,792 total). Graduates earn $63,727 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,702,371 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,589,579 (15.1× your investment). The median debt is $24,395, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 75% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $112,792
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,702,371
- Net Return
- $1,589,579
- ROI Multiple
- 15.1×
- Cost Per Year
- $28,198
- Median Debt
- $24,395
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 75%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Temple University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Temple University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 3.30%, among the highest in the country. About 9.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 35.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $82,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 3.30%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 35.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 9.3%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $112,360
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
- Research Score
- 19/100
- Times Higher Ed
- Academic Influence
- 43/100
- Citation impact (THE)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-197,448,000
Top Programs
The fields Temple University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Business & Marketing 20% $82,855 early-career
- Health Professions 11% $83,292 early-career
- Communications 10% $45,401 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 9% $80,271 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 8% $50,714 early-career
- Psychology 7% $36,083 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 6% $44,638 early-career
- Social Sciences 4% $59,481 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Temple University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Marketing Manager$156,580 · 8% growthAdaptable 64
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CAdvertising Manager$138,730 · 6% growthAdaptable 64
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Temple University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Temple University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 80%. The graduation rate is roughly 75%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Temple University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Temple University is $38,958, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $28,198. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,694 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $24,395 in federal student loans.
Is Temple University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Temple University earn a median of $63,727, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Temple University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Temple University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 3.30%, among the highest in the country. About 9.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 35.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $82,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Temple University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Temple University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.62, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
How Research-Intensive Is Temple University? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places Temple University at #351-400 worldwide. Its profile spans a research score of 19/100, teaching at 37/100, and citation impact of 43/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
Does Temple University offer Early Decision?
No. Temple University does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2024-25 Common Data Set).
Is Temple University really test-optional?
In practice, yes. Only about 20% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at Temple University (2024-25 Common Data Set).
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Temple University.
- University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, MO · Close peer76% grad $63,403 earn 78% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA · Close peer75% grad $63,386 earn 89% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of IowaIowa City, IA · Close peer74% grad $64,762 earn 84% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY · Close peer74% grad $70,814 earn 74% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · Close peer75% grad $63,126 earn 77% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO · Close peer75% grad $69,738 earn 78% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Temple University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Temple University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.62, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note