Anthropology major
Anthropology: courses, careers, and where to study
Anthropology studies humanity across cultures, languages, and time, suiting students drawn to fieldwork, qualitative research, and questions about how human societies live and change.
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Anthropology earn a median $46,676 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $32,056 to $63,905 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
An Anthropology major is usually a bachelor's degree that examines humanity through several traditional subfields: cultural anthropology (societies, beliefs, and customs), archaeology (past peoples through their material remains), biological/physical anthropology (human evolution, genetics, and primatology), and linguistic anthropology (language and communication). Programs combine ethnographic and qualitative methods with research design, and many include a field school, lab work in excavation or skeletal analysis, or a senior research project.
A bachelor's in Anthropology prepares graduates for work in cultural resource management, museums, market and user research, international development, nonprofits, and public health, where ethnographic and cross-cultural skills are valued. Many research and academic positions in the field, however, typically require a master's degree or higher. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of anthropologists and archeologists to grow 3.7% from 2024 to 2034, with a 2024 median annual wage of $64,910 reported by BLS.
Anthropology pairs well with sociology, biology, history, or a foreign language, and students leaning toward archaeology or biological anthropology often add coursework in geology, statistics, or laboratory science.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Anthropology maps to CIP 45.0201, Anthropology, General, within the SOCIAL SCIENCES family. The official definition:
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.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Anthropology is awarded as
Of the 10,788 Anthropology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Certificate: 3%, 277 credentials.
- Associate: 9%, 917 credentials.
- Bachelor's: 75%, 8,104 credentials.
- Graduate: 14%, 1,490 credentials.
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 41 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 7 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Cultural anthropology and ethnographic theory
- Archaeology and excavation methods
- Biological/physical anthropology and human evolution
- Linguistic anthropology and language analysis
- Qualitative research and participant observation
- Field school or laboratory fieldwork
- Cross-cultural analysis and research ethics
- Senior research project or thesis
Typical careers
- Anthropologists and archeologists
- Cultural Resource Management Specialist
- Museum Curator or Collections Assistant
- User / UX Researcher
- Market Research Analyst
- International Development / Nonprofit Program Officer
Typical salary range: BLS, 2024 anthropologists and archeologists median $64,910Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Anthropology graduates earn?
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Anthropology earn a median $46,676 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $32,056 to $63,905 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $46,676 | $32,056 to $63,905 |
Compare Anthropology programs in your state
Highest-earning bachelor's Anthropology programs
- Fordham University (NY): $66,562, median federal debt $22,562
- University of California, Berkeley (CA): $64,359, median federal debt $12,572
- San Francisco State University (CA): $61,300, median federal debt $16,500
- CUNY Lehman College (NY): $60,488, median federal debt $10,663
- University of California-San Diego (CA): $56,982, median federal debt $13,500
- University of California-Davis (CA): $56,836, median federal debt $14,000
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC): $56,589, median federal debt $12,500
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick (NJ): $56,468, median federal debt $25,154
- University of California-Santa Barbara (CA): $56,238, median federal debt $18,000
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO): $55,217, median federal debt $18,583
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Anthropology. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Anthropology, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $136,550 | 106,700 | +4.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists | $64,910 | 800 | +3.7% | Master's degree |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | $95,770 | 500 | +2.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 3 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Anthropology does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Anthropology major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Anthropology program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Anthropology department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Anthropology program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Anthropology credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Arizona State University Digital Immersion, AZ · 191 credentials
- University of California-Los Angeles, CA · 180 credentials
- Southern New Hampshire University, NH · 154 credentials
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC · 142 credentials
- University of Florida, FL · 130 credentials
- Arizona State University Campus Immersion, AZ · 122 credentials
- University of Central Florida, FL · 119 credentials
- Washington University in St Louis, MO · 117 credentials
- University of California-Santa Barbara, CA · 116 credentials
- University of California-Berkeley, CA · 112 credentials
- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, TN · 107 credentials
- University of South Florida, FL · 94 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Anthropology credentials were awarded
22 states have a distinct enough set of Anthropology colleges to be worth its own page.
- New York: 42 colleges
- Pennsylvania: 24 colleges
- Texas: 23 colleges
- Ohio: 16 colleges
- Massachusetts: 15 colleges
- North Carolina: 14 colleges
- Florida: 14 colleges
- Michigan: 14 colleges
- Illinois: 14 colleges
- Indiana: 13 colleges
- New Jersey: 10 colleges
- Wisconsin: 10 colleges
- Virginia: 9 colleges
- Missouri: 8 colleges
- Georgia: 8 colleges
- Minnesota: 8 colleges
- Connecticut: 8 colleges
- Tennessee: 7 colleges
- Iowa: 6 colleges
- Kentucky: 6 colleges
- Maryland: 5 colleges
- Alabama: 5 colleges
Every Anthropology program with its own CampusPin page
27 programs in 12 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.
Anthropology programs in Arizona, 1 program
- Arizona State University Campus Immersion Bachelor's, $49,597
Anthropology programs in California, 11 programs
- California State University-Chico Bachelor's, $43,153
- California State University-Long Beach Bachelor's, $47,166
- San Diego State University Bachelor's, $53,991
- San Francisco State University Bachelor's, $61,300
- University of California-Davis Bachelor's, $56,836
- University of California-Irvine Bachelor's, $50,850
- University of California-Riverside Bachelor's, $45,821
- University of California-Santa Barbara Bachelor's, $56,238
- University of California-Santa Cruz Bachelor's, $52,315
- University of California, Berkeley Bachelor's, $64,359
- University of California, Los Angeles Bachelor's, $54,905
Anthropology programs in Florida, 2 programs
- University of Florida Bachelor's, $47,348
- University of South Florida Bachelor's, $44,283
Anthropology programs in Michigan, 1 program
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Bachelor's, $53,042
Anthropology programs in New Mexico, 1 program
- University of New Mexico-Main Campus Bachelor's, $47,958
Anthropology programs in New York, 1 program
- CUNY Lehman College Bachelor's, $60,488
Anthropology programs in North Carolina, 1 program
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Bachelor's, $56,589
Anthropology programs in Ohio, 1 program
- Ohio State University-Main Campus Bachelor's, $50,055
Anthropology programs in Oregon, 2 programs
- Oregon State University Bachelor's, $45,184
- University of Oregon Bachelor's, $45,920
Anthropology programs in Pennsylvania, 1 program
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Bachelor's, $46,328
Anthropology programs in Texas, 3 programs
- Texas A & M University-College Station Bachelor's, $52,227
- Texas State University Bachelor's, $40,706
- The University of Texas at Austin Bachelor's, $48,486
Anthropology programs in Washington, 2 programs
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus Bachelor's, $53,212
- Western Washington University Bachelor's, $50,703
Related majors
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Biology
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Psychology
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Environmental Science
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Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Anthropology degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Science & Research careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Anthropology degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Anthropology path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.