Best institutions to study Anthropology
Compare 543 U.S. colleges offering Anthropology by graduate earnings, cost, and outcomes. Federal data across 53 states.
Anthropology programs report a median of $27,831 one year after graduation (College Scorecard, 2024), and map to CIP 45.02 and the Anthropologists and Archeologists occupation (BLS SOC).
About Anthropology programs
The Anthropology program offers an in-depth exploration of humanity through the lenses of biology and sociology. Students will study human behavior, cultures, societies, and linguistics, both in contemporary contexts and throughout history. This program is ideal for those interested in understanding the complexities of human life and cultural diversity.
Core skills developed in this program include critical thinking, active listening, and effective communication. Students will gain knowledge in sociology, anthropology, history, and geography, along with practical experience in research methodologies and data analysis.
Top 50 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard, predominant credential).
| # | Institution | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Completions | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $56,550 | 12 | 84% | $33,246 | $23,125 |
| 2 | Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $46,302 | 5 | 72% | $28,514 | $25,500 |
| 3 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $43,924 | 18 | 97% | $16,260 | — |
| 4 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $41,986 | 154 | 43% | $34,565 | $34,312 |
| 5 | Fordham University Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,384 | 15 | 82% | $38,931 | $24,000 |
| 6 | Dartmouth College Hanover, NH Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,071 | 41 | 96% | $14,689 | $14,363 |
| 7 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $38,879 | 66 | 51% | — | $13,722 |
| 8 | Boise State University Boise, ID Public · Certificate degree | $37,781 | 45 | 60% | — | $29,572 |
| 9 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · Bachelor's degree | $37,081 | 26 | 68% | — | $23,937 |
| 10 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $36,978 | 22 | 84% | — | $26,750 |
| 11 | Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $36,978 | 4 | 64% | — | $26,750 |
| 12 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · Bachelor's degree | $36,822 | 55 | 74% | — | $20,000 |
| 13 | Emory University Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $36,700 | 73 | 91% | $20,586 | $21,515 |
| 14 | University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA Public · Bachelor's degree | $36,565 | 20 | 49% | — | $24,362 |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · Bachelor's degree | $36,211 | 88 | 91% | — | $11,982 |
| 16 | University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO Public · Bachelor's degree | $35,432 | 14 | 51% | — | $25,667 |
| 17 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $35,390 | 33 | 86% | $25,074 | $26,000 |
| 18 | Portland State University Portland, OR Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,862 | 28 | 53% | — | $23,500 |
| 19 | Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,701 | 18 | 80% | — | $26,943 |
| 20 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,669 | 36 | 65% | — | $22,750 |
| 21 | Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $34,489 | 94 | 94% | $14,126 | $15,000 |
| 22 | The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,382 | 1 | 11% | $26,445 | $41,859 |
| 23 | Wichita State University Wichita, KS Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,275 | 24 | 51% | — | $25,000 |
| 24 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · Bachelor's degree | $33,837 | 34 | 89% | — | $20,070 |
| 25 | University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV Public · Bachelor's degree | $33,787 | 50 | 51% | — | $15,379 |
| 26 | University of Connecticut Storrs, CT Public · Bachelor's degree | $33,758 | 35 | 83% | — | $18,500 |
| 27 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI Public · Bachelor's degree | $33,261 | 28 | 49% | — | $27,000 |
| 28 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $33,208 | 25 | 95% | $14,799 | — |
| 29 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · Bachelor's degree | $33,094 | 47 | 68% | — | $24,269 |
| 30 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $32,778 | 56 | 85% | — | $12,000 |
| 31 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR Public · Bachelor's degree | $32,573 | 63 | 70% | — | $27,799 |
| 32 | Hamline University Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $32,498 | 9 | 60% | $20,981 | $27,000 |
| 33 | SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $32,493 | 9 | 69% | — | $21,500 |
| 34 | University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $32,477 | 19 | 69% | — | $18,000 |
| 35 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $32,460 | 38 | 56% | — | $20,675 |
| 36 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $32,300 | 170 | 93% | — | $15,000 |
| 37 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $31,973 | 14 | 92% | $19,292 | — |
| 38 | University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,926 | 27 | 75% | — | $17,600 |
| 39 | Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,744 | 12 | 58% | — | $19,249 |
| 40 | University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,729 | 45 | 55% | — | $23,814 |
| 41 | University of Vermont Burlington, VT Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,717 | 27 | 79% | — | $19,500 |
| 42 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,640 | 122 | 68% | — | $25,500 |
| 43 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,640 | 191 | 0% | — | $25,500 |
| 44 | University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,619 | 4 | 43% | — | $22,782 |
| 45 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,420 | 108 | 83% | — | $19,500 |
| 46 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,369 | 68 | 89% | — | $22,523 |
| 47 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,219 | 48 | 85% | — | $23,375 |
| 48 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,018 | 12 | 65% | — | $25,723 |
| 49 | Binghamton University Vestal, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $30,978 | 50 | 82% | — | $22,250 |
| 50 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Public · Bachelor's degree | $30,686 | 10 | 80% | — | $20,500 |
Offered across 53 states & territories
The same program, compared state by state. Pick a state for in-state earnings and institutions.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 19-3091, Anthropologists and Archeologists, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Anthropology program can pursue various careers in research, education, and cultural analysis. The field is projected to grow at a rate of 3.7%, with approximately 800 annual job openings. The median wage for professionals in this area is $64,910, typically requiring a master's degree for advancement.
Top-paying metros
Related careers
CIP-to-SOC crosswalk for Anthropology
The SOC occupations NCES officially maps to CIP 45.02.
Under the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, CIP 45.02 (Anthropology) maps to 6 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations, the jobs the U.S. Department of Labor links to this field of study.
| SOC code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 11-9199 | Managers, All Other |
| 19-1042 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists |
| 19-3091 | Anthropologists and Archeologistsprimary |
| 19-4092 | Forensic Science Technicians |
| 25-1061 | Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary |
| 25-1062 | Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk.
Skills & knowledge in Anthropology programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this program most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
What graduates do on the job
- Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
- Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.
- Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
- Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.
- Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.
- Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
Concentrations within Anthropology
Specializations under this field (NCES CIP 2020).
- Anthropology, GeneralCIP 45.0201
A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective
- Physical and Biological AnthropologyCIP 45.0202
A program that focuses on the application of the biological sciences and anthropology to the study of the adaptations, variability, and the evolution of human beings and their living and fossil relati
- Medical AnthropologyCIP 45.0203
A program that focuses on biological, socio-cultural, psychological, and behavioral factors as they relate to health, illness, medical practices, and access to health care services
- Cultural AnthropologyCIP 45.0204
A program that focuses on the study of culture and the relationship of culture to other aspects of social life
- Forensic AnthropologyCIP 45.0205
A program that focuses on the application of the biological sciences and skeletal anthropology in medicolegal death investigations
- Anthropology, OtherCIP 45.0299
Any instructional program in Anthropology not listed above.
Common questions
What specializations are available in Anthropology?+
Specializations include Cultural Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, and more.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in writing, critical thinking, and active learning.
What is the job outlook for Anthropology graduates?+
The job outlook is about as fast as average, with 800 annual openings.
What level of education is typically required?+
A master's degree is typically required for careers in Anthropology.
How much do Anthropology graduates earn?+
Anthropology graduates report median earnings of $27,831 one year after graduation, per College Scorecard (2024); the Anthropologists and Archeologists occupation pays about $75,620 on average nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the CIP code for Anthropology?+
Anthropology maps to CIP 45.02 in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the U.S. Department of Education taxonomy used for College Scorecard Field of Study earnings and IPEDS completions.
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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