Temple University
Public Research University in Philadelphia, PA. Six-year graduation rate 75%. Median 10-year earnings $63,727.
A decade after enrolling, the median Temple University student earns $63,727 — comfortably above what the typical bachelor's-granting institution returns. The six-year graduation rate of 75% is well above average and the clearest sign this school holds onto its students. Median debt at graduation is $24,395, roughly typical for an undergraduate degree. It also moves people — 3.3% of students climb from the bottom fifth of the income distribution to the top.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Graduation rate 75% — well above the national average
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
An acceptance rate of 80% puts Temple University on the accessible end — a realistic target for a broad range of applicants. The applicant pool is large — 39,754 in the most recent cycle — so the published rate reflects genuine competition rather than a small-sample quirk. Only 15% of admitted students enroll — the great majority of admits go elsewhere or nowhere.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Temple University →Academics
A 75% six-year graduation rate is the strongest academic signal on this page. 83% of full-time first-years return for a second year — a healthy figure. 13% transfer out. IPEDS does not follow them, so whether they finished elsewhere is not recorded either way. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 53% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. At 12:1, students get materially more instructor contact than at a typical public university.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 21,249 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Net price averages $28,088 annually, so cost is the first thing to weigh here. The income table below is the number that matters — $22,694 at $0–30k versus $34,947 at $110k+. About 81% get grants averaging $12,136, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. Most students borrow — 55% take federal loans to cover the gap.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 3,725 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,694 |
| $30–48k | $23,431 |
| $48–75k | $26,534 |
| $75–110k | $29,397 |
| $110k+ | $34,947 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 11,581 of these 21,249 students, totalling $75,649,463 — an average of $6,532 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Philadelphia County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
Settlement reached with States Attorney General
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)