Temple University
Temple University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Temple University Featured Rankings
- #1 Affordable Colleges in Pennsylvania 2026
- #1 Best Online MBAs Pennsylvania
- #2 Pennsylvania's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #2 Pennsylvania's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #2 Public Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #4 Grad Schools in Pennsylvania 2026
- #4 Research Universities in Pennsylvania
- #5 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #9 Best Online Colleges for Veterans
- #34 Best Public Grad Schools
About Temple University
In brief
Temple University, in Philadelphia, was founded in 1884 and is divided into 17 colleges and schools. By our measure of academic influence, it ranks #73 in the United States and #205 in the world. It admitted 80.4% of applicants for fall 2024.
It is best known for its professional schools, among them the Beasley School of Law, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, the Kornberg School of Dentistry, the School of Podiatric Medicine, and the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, and it trains more professional practitioners than any other university in Pennsylvania.
Where Temple’s influence is strongest
Temple’s influence is led by sociology, social work, and medicine. Its strongest broad fields, by US rank in our data, are:
- Sociology: #27 in the US (#74 in the world)
- Social work: #40
- Medicine: #45
- Criminal justice: #49
- Education and religious studies: #56 each
Within those fields, Temple is a national leader in several specialties:
- #3 in the US: podiatry (behind New York College of Podiatric Medicine and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science)
- #4: analytical sociology
- #5: orthodontics and rehabilitation medicine
By comparison, Temple sits further back in physics (#101), computer science (#116), and nursing (#148).
How we measure influence: these ranks come from the citations and recognition earned by a school’s faculty and alumni in each discipline, not from surveys or admissions statistics. See our methodology.
Notable people
Temple-connected figures include the sociologist Robert K. Merton, the psychiatrist Joseph Wolpe, the molecular biologist Shirley Tilghman, the population geneticist Masatoshi Nei, the mathematician John Allen Paulos, the science fiction writer Samuel R. Delany, the singers Daryl Hall and John Oates, and the comedian Kevin Hart. Our full lists of Temple’s most influential alumni and faculty appear below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Temple hard to get into? No. It admitted 80.4% of applicants for fall 2024.
What does Temple cost after financial aid? Tuition is $23,824 for Pennsylvania residents and $36,887 for out-of-state students in 2025–26. The average net price for aided students with family incomes of $48,000–$75,000 was $20,684 in 2024–25; it ranged from about $18,541 for incomes of $30,000–$48,000 to $29,206 for incomes above $110,000.
How do Temple graduates do? 72.7% of students who started in 2019 graduated within six years, and 83% of first-year students return for a second year. Ten years after starting college, former students had median earnings of $71,027.
What is Temple best known for academically? By our influence data: sociology, social work, and medicine, plus podiatry, where it ranks third in the country.
According to Wikipedia, Temple University is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Baptist Temple. On May 12, 1888, it was renamed the Temple College of Philadelphia. By 1907, the institution revised its institutional status and was incorporated as a research university.
Temple University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36,399 | 80% | 83% | 73% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Temple University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $23,824 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $19,047 |
| 30K - 48K | $18,541 |
| 48K - 75K | $20,684 |
| 75K - 110K | $24,345 |
| 110K+ | $29,206 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Temple University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Temple University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $71,027 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Temple University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 32,591 | 23,294 | 9,297 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Temple University?
Temple University is located at 1801 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6096.
How Safe is Temple University?
Relative to its enrollment, Temple University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.03%. Philadelphia has a violent crime rate of 0.92% and a property crime rate of 4.62%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Temple University Known For?
Temple University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Sociology
- Social Work
- Medical
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Religious Studies
- Anthropology
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Business
- Biology
- Law
- Communications
- Chemistry
- History
- Political Science
- Economics
- Earth Sciences
- Literature
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Nursing
Temple University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Temple University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Temple University ranks #27 in the U.S. and #74 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesTemple University ranks #40 in the U.S. and #61 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesTemple University ranks #45 in the U.S. and #111 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesTemple University ranks #49 in the U.S. and #63 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesTemple University ranks #56 in the U.S. and #183 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesTemple University ranks #56 in the U.S. and #251 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesTemple University ranks #57 in the U.S. and #151 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesTemple University ranks #70 in the U.S. and #230 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesTemple University ranks #70 in the U.S. and #128 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesTemple University ranks #72 in the U.S. and #281 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesTemple University ranks #78 in the U.S. and #298 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesTemple University ranks #79 in the U.S. and #201 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesTemple University ranks #79 in the U.S. and #231 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesTemple University ranks #79 in the U.S. and #235 worldwide for influence in Law.
Temple University ranks #80 in the U.S. and #258 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesTemple University ranks #83 in the U.S. and #348 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesTemple University ranks #88 in the U.S. and #219 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesTemple University ranks #90 in the U.S. and #306 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesTemple University ranks #95 in the U.S. and #347 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesTemple University ranks #96 in the U.S. and #382 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesTemple University ranks #97 in the U.S. and #245 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesTemple University ranks #101 in the U.S. and #415 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesTemple University ranks #116 in the U.S. and #419 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesTemple University ranks #148 in the U.S. and #366 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Temple University's Most Influential Alumni?
Temple University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Sociology. Here are some of Temple University's most famous alumni:
- Robert K. Merton
- An American sociologist .
- Ted Bundy
- An American serial killer .
- John Esposito
- An American professor of Middle Eastern studies .
- Ben Goertzel
- An Author and researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
- Bob Saget
- An American stand-up comedian .
- Ben Bova
- An American writer.
- Walter Isard
- An American economist.
- F. Albert Cotton
- An American chemist .
- Miguel A. De La Torre
- An American theologian.
- Ray Birdwhistell
- An American anthropologist.
- Jay E. Adams
- An American religious author and preacher .
- Herbert Scarf
- An American academic.
Who Are Temple University's Most Influential Faculty?
Temple University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Sociology. Here are some of Temple University's most famous faculty:
- Michael Tye
- A Philosopher.
- Susan B. Neuman
- An American writer and academic.
- Jason Wingard
- An American university president.
- Chelsea Walton
- An African-American mathematician & academic.
- Alex Piquero
- A Cuban-American criminologist.
- JoAnne A. Epps
- An American legal scholar.
- Natalia Molina
- An American academic.
- Dawn Staley
- An American basketball player and coach .
- Sara Goldrick-Rab
- An American professor, sociologist, and author.
- Geoff Collins
- An American football coach.
- Marc Lamont Hill
- An American academic, author, activist, and television personality.
- Michael Alexander
- An Academic and, as of Feb 2013, Associate professor in the religious studies department of the University of California, Riverside.
