Bright outlook
Management
Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Complex Problem Solving
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
Anthropology
CIP45.02
455 colleges offer Anthropology. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 455
- at its most common level
- Bachelor's earnings
- $45,833
- median, 4 years after
- Bachelor's debt
- $19,827
- median federal loans
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 32
- Associate's
- 137
- Bachelor's
- 455
- Master's
- 165
- Post-baccalaureate certificate
- 4
- Doctoral
- 100
- First professional
- 1
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 24
What it covers
About Anthropology
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. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 45.02.
Programs in this field
Colleges report these specific programs under CIP 45.02.
- Anthropology, General
- Physical and Biological Anthropology
- Medical Anthropology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Forensic Anthropology
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 32 | $49,1471 yr after · 3 colleges | $19,4583 colleges |
| Associate's | 137 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Bachelor's | 455 | $45,8334 yrs after · 179 colleges | $19,827129 colleges |
| Master's | 165 | $57,2834 yrs after · 3 colleges | $36,0643 colleges |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Doctoral | 100 | $72,7674 yrs after · 3 colleges | Not reported |
| First professional | 1 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 24 | Not reported | Not reported |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Bachelor's programs
Where Anthropology graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private nonprofit · 31 graduates
$83,493
debt $25,000
- 2
Durham, NC · Private nonprofit · 14 graduates
$81,120
debt not reported
- 3
Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit · 69 graduates
$78,768
debt $11,958
- 4
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · 82 graduates
$71,018
debt $15,000
- 5
Hanover, NH · Private nonprofit · 34 graduates
$70,846
debt not reported
- 6
Bronx, NY · Private nonprofit · 25 graduates
$66,562
debt not reported
- 7
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 27 graduates
$65,172
debt $14,697
- 8
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public · 79 graduates
$64,359
debt $11,310
- 9
Rohnert Park, CA · Public · 17 graduates
$62,674
debt not reported
- 10
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public · 20 graduates
$61,300
debt not reported
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Anthropology by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
- Bright outlook
Management
Compliance Managers
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Bright outlook
Management
Loss Prevention Managers
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Bright outlook
Management
Managers, All Other
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook
Management
Regulatory Affairs Managers
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Bright outlook
Management
Wind Energy Development Managers
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Bright outlook
Management
Wind Energy Operations Managers
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Bright outlook
Science
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
- Median pay
- $103,410
- Outlook
- Much faster than average
Doctoral or professional degree
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Science
More in Social Sciences
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this areaQuestions about Anthropology
How many colleges offer Anthropology?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Anthropology at these degree levels: certificate (32 colleges), associate's (137 colleges), bachelor's (455 colleges), master's (165 colleges), post-baccalaureate certificate (4 colleges), doctoral (100 colleges), first professional (1 college), graduate/professional certificate (24 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
What do Anthropology graduates earn?
At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Anthropology earn $45,833 a year four years after finishing, across 179 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.
Where do Anthropology graduates earn the most?
Columbia University in the City of New York reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Anthropology: $83,493 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.