Temple or Villanova - INFO ON EACH PLEASE! Forum

[This.Is.Steve.1991]

Hello All,

So I am looking at attending Temple or Villanova for law school but would like opinions as to the strengths/weaknesses of each. I fully plan to enter public service after law school (as a prosecutor, hopefully).

Thoughts?

Thank You,
James Lafferty

[Nova]

Both have about even placement. Both only give you about a coin flip chance of ever actually practicing law. More Temple grads end up working for the gov. Temple gives you a better chance of emoyment that includes non legal jobs.

If you pay tuition for either, you are over paying.

•51.2% of graduates were known to be employed in long-term, full-time legal jobs. This figure includes no school-funded jobs.
•61.7% graduates were employed in long-term jobs.
•69.1% graduates were employed in full-time jobs.
•5.5% work for the gov

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... show=chars

•53.1% of graduates were known to be employed in long-term, full-time legal jobs. This figure includes no school-funded jobs.
•75.5% graduates were employed in long-term jobs.
•79.8% graduates were employed in full-time jobs.
•11.2% work for the gov.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... =employers

[magp90]

I was choosing between the same two schools, because I'm definitely planning on staying in Philadelphia. I currently work at a law firm in Philly as a paralegal, and everyone I asked told me to choose Temple, which I ultimately did (so you could say that I'm biased). On the forums (aside from hearing RETAKE, HYS), you'll hear that Temple and Villanova have pretty much the same stats, even though Temple is ranked much higher than Villanova in the rankings.

Part of the reason I chose Temple was because they have a stronger, more active alumni base in Philly. That's not to say that Villanova students don't wind up with jobs (see the above poster's stats), but I'm saying that Temple alums tend to reach out to each other more visibly. Temple is well-loved in the city, especially for what you seem to be interested in. You'll need to hustle at either school if you want to have a great chance at employment. Neither one will just feed you into a certain sector, so just be sure that you work hard and network your ass off.

If you're someone who is also looking into the atmosphere surrounding the schools, you would definitely need to decide between a diverse urban setting and a pretty homogeneous suburban setting. I spent four years on the Main Line near Villanova, and I just wanted to get out, so that played a role in my decision as well.

All that being said, it also really depends on your finances and whether or not you're in-state. They're not worth going into a huge amount of debt for, and I would ultimately pick the one that is helping you out the most. All things being equal, I would (and did) pick Temple. If you want more details on my decision, feel free to ask.

[BarbellDreams]

Temple over Nova by a tiny bit, but only if you're taking out 60K or less total COA for all three years including interest. If more, then retake. If you have ANY interest in biglaw, retake.

[digitalmedia]

I would choose Temple but both seem pretty equal.

[hephaestus]

Temple.

-Higher ranking
-cheaper out of state tuition
-MUCH cheaper in state tuition
-better location in the heart of Philly
-better reputation
-larger alumni network

I think calling Temple the better location is really stretching it. I would agree Temple usually wins out due to lower cost. But they are peer schools and their rankings year to year are immaterial.

[ronanOgara]

You have to give us the cost of both, because that makes a difference. I've heard Temple is better for the future prosecutor, but that's up to you to decide. It's somewhat like the BC/BU debate, but on a different scale.

Personally, I would take whatever is cheaper. If they are both CHEAP, go with wherever you would feel more comfortable. If it was up to me, I would take 'Nova just because it has better lay prestige...but at least Temple has D1-A football.