Head-to-head · 23 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 70% chose Temple University. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 23 self-reported decisions and ABA 509 filings.
Choice, not ranking
These are decisions, not opinions. Scholarship offers, location, intended practice, and personal fit are all priced into the split.
Cross-admit decision
Chose Temple University
Median scholarship (chose Temple University)
Median scholarship (chose AU)
View all-time (54 cross-admits)
Trend · Temple University's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2025 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2024 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Villanova University
43
Drexel University
32
University of Maryland
28
Rutgers University
26
Pennsylvania State - Dickinson Law
25
Overview
About Temple University vs AU
Across 23 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 70% enrolled at Temple University and 30% at American University. The split has shifted +60 points across the tracked cycles.
These numbers reflect every factor that goes into a real decision: scholarship offers, geographic preference, intended practice area, and fit. Choosing one school doesn't mean it's "better" — it means the pool of cross-admits, weighing their options, ended up there more often. Pair this with the scholarship distribution and employment outcomes above for full context.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Temple University and American University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 23 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 23 applicants admitted to both schools, 70% chose to attend Temple University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Temple University is ranked #49 compared to #108 — a gap of 59 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Temple University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while American University is in Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
On cost, Temple University has lower tuition at $32,588 per year compared to $66,990. Combined with employment rates of 93.8% (Temple University) and 83.0% (AU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, American University offered a median scholarship of $120,000 compared to $84,000, a difference of $36,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.