Majors

Best Colleges for Anthropology, by Earnings

427 of the colleges we track award a bachelor's degree in Anthropology, about 8,183 degrees a year. Across the 177 that report earnings, graduates make a median of $45,920 four years after finishing.

Rank	College	State	Median earnings, 4 years out	Degrees a year	Acceptance rate
1	Columbia University	NY	$83,493	29	4%
2	Duke University	NC	$81,120	10	5.7%
3	Emory University	GA	$78,768	66	10.7%
4	Washington University in St Louis	MO	$71,018	92	12.1%
5	Dartmouth College	NH	$70,846	33	5.4%
6	Fordham University	NY	$66,562	23	59.3%
7	George Washington University	DC	$65,172	33	47.1%
8	University of California-Berkeley	CA	$64,359	73	11%
9	Sonoma State University	CA	$62,674	29	93.4%
10	San Francisco State University	CA	$61,300	23	96.4%
11	James Madison University	VA	$60,841	23	71.5%
12	CUNY Lehman College	NY	$60,488	45	56.6%
13	Loyola University Chicago	IL	$59,024	20	81.6%
14	Stony Brook University	NY	$58,329	21	49%
15	Brandeis University	MA	$57,423	27	40.5%
16	University of California-San Diego	CA	$56,982	71	26.7%
17	Tulane University of Louisiana	LA	$56,847	35	14%
18	University of California-Davis	CA	$56,836	106	41.8%
19	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	$56,589	84	15.3%
20	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	$56,468	21	58.1%
21	Rutgers University-Newark	NJ	$56,468	2	71.4%
22	University of California-Santa Barbara	CA	$56,238	121	33%
23	SUNY Oneonta	NY	$55,981	15	69.6%
24	Georgia Southern University	GA	$55,879	10	87.9%
25	Monmouth University	NJ	$55,868	11	89%
26	Purdue University	IN	$55,624	25	49.9%
27	University of Oklahoma	OK	$55,399	41	76.6%
28	University of Colorado Boulder	CO	$55,217	66	78.1%
29	University of Connecticut	CT	$54,907	19	52.4%
30	University of California-Los Angeles	CA	$54,905	185	9%
31	Northern Illinois University	IL	$54,890	12	69.8%
32	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	$54,773	32	45.2%
33	California State University-Fullerton	CA	$54,092	41	90.5%
34	San Diego State University	CA	$53,991	49	36.2%
35	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	PA	$53,927	5	93.1%
36	Boston University	MA	$53,722	21	11.1%
37	College of Charleston	SC	$53,567	23	60%
38	Binghamton University	NY	$53,460	31	38.6%
39	University of Washington	WA	$53,212	51	39.1%
40	Syracuse University	NY	$53,196	17	45.9%
41	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	$53,125	12	98.8%
42	University of Michigan	MI	$53,042	53	15.6%
43	University of Maryland	MD	$53,038	23	44.8%
44	American University	DC	$53,036	11	62%
45	University of California-Santa Cruz	CA	$52,315	124	65.8%
46	Texas A&M University	TX	$52,227	45	57.4%
47	California State University-Channel Islands	CA	$51,951	10	94.8%
48	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	$51,907	43	77.3%
49	University of Virginia	VA	$51,811	45	16.8%
50	CUNY Hunter College	NY	$51,787	25	53.8%
51	University of Northern Colorado	CO	$51,715	6	85.9%
52	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	$51,100	103	99.5%
53	University of California-Irvine	CA	$50,850	51	28.6%
54	DePaul University	IL	$50,780	10	75.9%
55	Western Washington University	WA	$50,703	49	93.3%
56	Baylor University	TX	$50,699	39	51.3%
57	Pennsylvania State University	PA	$50,640	36	60.6%
58	Bridgewater State University	MA	$50,376	9	87.8%
59	Illinois State University	IL	$50,177	11	88.2%
60	Ohio State University	OH	$50,055	70	60.6%
61	University of Vermont	VT	$49,987	44	65.3%
62	California State University-San Marcos	CA	$49,848	23	95.1%
63	Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	$49,641	17	92.6%
64	Arizona State University	AZ	$49,597	80	89.9%
65	University of Missouri	MO	$49,351	25	78.5%
66	California State University-Fresno	CA	$49,187	18	95.3%
67	University of Nevada-Reno	NV	$48,607	26	73.7%
68	University of Texas at Austin	TX	$48,486	54	26.6%
69	California State University-Sacramento	CA	$48,367	51	94%
70	Wayne State University	MI	$48,230	22	81.2%
71	University of North Florida	FL	$48,132	25	53.2%
72	University of Minnesota	MN	$48,010	33	79.8%
73	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	NM	$47,958	34	95.2%
74	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	$47,811	18	90.7%
75	University of Alaska Anchorage	AK	$47,547	14
76	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	NE	$47,485	16	87.5%
77	Wichita State University	KS	$47,392	14	94%
78	University of Florida	FL	$47,348	126	24.2%
79	Montclair State University	NJ	$47,225	8	87.9%
80	Kennesaw State University	GA	$47,179	24	69.2%
81	California State University-Long Beach	CA	$47,166	70	46.3%
82	University at Albany	NY	$47,095	21	69.1%
83	University of West Georgia	GA	$46,740	11	51.6%
84	Oakland University	MI	$46,628	18	87.8%
85	University of Memphis	TN	$46,560	17	72%
86	University of Pittsburgh	PA	$46,328	43	58.1%
87	University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg	PA	$46,328	1	95.2%
88	California State University-Stanislaus	CA	$46,321	11	98.1%
89	University of Oregon	OR	$45,920	81	88.3%
90	North Carolina State University	NC	$45,890	33	41.7%
91	Fort Lewis College	CO	$45,833	19	77.3%
92	University of California-Riverside	CA	$45,821	90	76.4%
93	Western Carolina University	NC	$45,809	40	81.8%
94	University of North Texas	TX	$45,664	41	72.2%
95	Oregon State University	OR	$45,184	65	77.3%
96	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus	OR	$45,184	2	63.1%
97	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	IL	$44,974	11	97.5%
98	Louisiana State University	LA	$44,738	24	73.3%
99	Millersville University of Pennsylvania	PA	$44,440	9	86.2%
100	Ball State University	IN	$44,371	31	85.5%

Showing the top 100 of 177 colleges that report earnings. 250 more colleges award this degree but have no earnings figure, usually because the program is small.

Keep this list

Email me the Anthropology rankings

The full table, plus a link to compare these colleges on admissions and cost.

I consent to receive transactional text messages (Conversational/Alerts, Appointments, and Booking Confirmations) from Dewey Smart at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy, Terms, and SMS Terms.

I agree to receive recurring automated marketing & promotional text messages from Dewey Smart at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy, Terms, and SMS Terms.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently asked questions

Which college has the highest-paid Anthropology graduates?

Columbia University ($83,493), Duke University ($81,120), Emory University ($78,768), Washington University in St Louis ($71,018), Dartmouth College ($70,846) report the highest median earnings four years after graduation.

How much do Anthropology majors make?

The median across 177 colleges is $45,920 four years after graduation. By college it runs from $29,754 to $83,493.

Which colleges have the biggest Anthropology programs?

By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: University of California-Los Angeles (185), University of Florida (126), University of California-Santa Cruz (124), University of California-Santa Barbara (121), University of California-Davis (106).

Does a higher-earning program mean a better program?

Not on its own. Earnings reflect where graduates live, what jobs they take, and who enrolled in the first place, as well as the teaching. The figures cover only graduates who received federal financial aid, and small programs are left out, so a college missing from this list may still have a strong department.

Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release, federal program category "Anthropology". Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after a bachelor's degree.