Anthropology

What graduates really earn, where the degree pays off most, and whether the numbers add up for you.

Avg Earnings (4yr)

$30,192

Median Earnings

$46,328

Schools Offering

200

ROI Grade

Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)

25th: $41,767Median: $46,32875th: $53,042

Best Schools for Anthropology by Earnings

#	School	ROI	4yr Earnings	Net Price	Major Debt	Grade
1	Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private	96	$83,493	$21,590	$34,500	B
2	Duke University NC · Private	96	$81,120	$29,612	N/A	-
3	Emory University GA · Private	92	$78,768	$22,585	$21,515	C
4	Washington University in St Louis MO · Private	96	$71,018	$21,786	$15,000	B
5	Dartmouth College NH · Private	95	$70,846	$29,519	$14,363	B
6	Fordham University NY · Private	79	$66,562	$44,338	$24,000	C
7	George Washington University DC · Private	88	$65,172	$36,586	$27,000	F
8	University of California-Berkeley CA · Public	97	$64,359	$13,481	$12,949	C+
9	Sonoma State University CA · Public	81	$62,674	$12,885	$19,249	C
10	San Francisco State University CA · Public	80	$61,300	$12,278	$17,250	C
11	James Madison University VA · Public	84	$60,841	$23,322	$20,500	C
12	CUNY Lehman College NY · Public	78	$60,488	$3,148	$13,722	B
13	Loyola University Chicago IL · Private	69	$59,024	$36,079	N/A	-
14	Stony Brook University NY · Public	87	$58,329	$18,784	$19,449	D
15	Brandeis University MA · Private	77	$57,423	$35,736	$26,000	D
16	University of California-San Diego CA · Public	96	$56,982	$12,470	$13,958	C+
17	Tulane University of Louisiana LA · Private	64	$56,847	$39,949	$19,500	D
18	University of California-Davis CA · Public	95	$56,836	$14,741	$15,000	C+
19	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public	94	$56,589	$11,655	$11,982	B+
20	Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public	83	$56,468	$24,406	$26,750	D
21	Rutgers University-Newark NJ · Public	82	$56,468	$19,703	$26,750	D
22	University of California-Santa Barbara CA · Public	90	$56,238	$16,109	$19,500	C
23	SUNY Oneonta NY · Public	72	$55,981	$19,158	$21,500	C
24	Georgia Southern University GA · Public	52	$55,879	$15,267	N/A	-
25	Monmouth University NJ · Private	63	$55,868	$30,988	$25,500	C
26	Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public	91	$55,624	$14,600	$18,972	C
27	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK · Public	83	$55,399	$15,300	$25,000	D
28	University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public	80	$55,217	$25,346	$20,000	C+
29	University of Connecticut CT · Public	85	$54,907	$25,097	$18,500	C+
30	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus CT · Public	85	$54,907	$10,875	$18,500	C+
31	University of Connecticut-Avery Point CT · Public	87	$54,907	$13,807	$18,500	C+
32	University of Connecticut-Stamford CT · Public	84	$54,907	$16,798	$18,500	C+
33	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus CT · Public	87	$54,907	$16,403	$18,500	C+
34	University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public	96	$54,905	$12,548	$15,000	C+
35	Northern Illinois University IL · Public	66	$54,890	$13,391	N/A	-
36	University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public	91	$54,773	$17,354	$19,775	B
37	California State University-Fullerton CA · Public	88	$54,092	$6,555	$14,404	C+
38	San Diego State University CA · Public	84	$53,991	$15,364	$13,099	C+
39	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania PA · Public	53	$53,927	$15,699	$26,000	D
40	Boston University MA · Private	90	$53,722	$24,402	$25,250	D
41	College of Charleston SC · Public	57	$53,567	$18,960	$23,000	D
42	Binghamton University NY · Public	89	$53,460	$21,620	$22,250	D
43	University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public	94	$53,212	$14,091	$12,000	B
44	Syracuse University NY · Private	76	$53,196	$38,793	$23,249	F
45	Metropolitan State University of Denver CO · Public	46	$53,125	$15,327	$31,135	F
46	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public	95	$53,042	$13,138	$14,623	C
47	University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public	94	$53,038	$15,678	$20,070	C
48	American University DC · Private	74	$53,036	$41,943	$27,000	C+
49	University of California-Santa Cruz CA · Public	85	$52,315	$17,890	$17,875	D
50	Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public	89	$52,227	$21,315	$21,264	D

Poor Value

Is Anthropology Worth It?

Passion Play - Manage the Cost

The money on Anthropology is genuinely tough. An average $30,192 four years out is hard to square with a big tuition bill. If this is your passion, go for it - but keep debt as low as you can: in-state public, scholarships, anything that pulls the net cost down.

200 schools offer this major, so you have real options. Compare net price and graduate earnings at your actual target schools - the spread between the best and worst ROI in this field is wide.

The top earner here is Columbia University in the City of New York, where graduates pull $83,493 four years out. But an average hides a wide spread - where you go, and what you do with the degree, matter as much as the major itself.

Best ROI Schools for Anthropology All Majors ROI Calculator Compare Schools

Anthropology

Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)

Best Schools for Anthropology by Earnings

Is Anthropology Worth It?

Passion Play - Manage the Cost

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