Anthropology: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 45.02. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,010 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 32 | 212 | $43,468 | $45,283 | $20,755 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 137 | 887 | $37,748 | $39,638 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 483 | 8,166 | $34,245 | $46,676 | $21,500 145 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 205 | 1,009 | $49,323 | $61,276 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 122 | 464 | $66,244 | $77,473 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 25 | 30 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise State University ID · Public · 23 graduates measured | $58,858 | Data unavailable | $26,061 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 18 graduates measured | $49,147 | Data unavailable | $20,755 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 18 graduates measured | $49,147 | Data unavailable | $20,755 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $50,996 | $70,846 | Data unavailable |
| University of Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $47,305 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $47,113 | $66,562 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $46,874 | $65,172 | $18,000 |
| Brandeis University MA · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $46,461 | $57,423 | $14,734 |
| California State University-Fullerton CA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $44,837 | $54,092 | $18,000 |
| Wayne State University MI · Public · 23 graduates measured | $44,301 | $48,230 | $23,167 |
| Boston University MA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $44,140 | $53,722 | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 21 graduates measured | $44,078 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston MA · Public · 57 graduates measured | $43,636 | $43,053 | $26,500 |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $43,487 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Sacramento CA · Public · 53 graduates measured | $43,278 | $48,367 | $16,233 |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake TX · Public · 26 graduates measured | $42,948 | Data unavailable | $25,000 |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $42,570 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Franklin and Marshall College PA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $42,296 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Texas TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $63,696 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas State University TX · Public · 16 graduates measured | $52,562 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Los Angeles CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $51,666 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $49,375 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Georgia State University GA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $44,653 | $46,511 | Data unavailable |
| Binghamton University NY · Public · 31 graduates measured | $41,881 | $60,382 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 22 graduates measured | $76,218 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Anthropology
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $103,410 | +12.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Anthropologists and archeologists | $70,770 | +6.0% | Master's degree |
| Forensic science technicians | $72,060 | +13.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary | $99,650 | +2.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary | $85,020 | +2.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (6)
- 45.0201 Anthropology, General
- 45.0202 Physical and Biological Anthropology
- 45.0203 Medical Anthropology
- 45.0204 Cultural Anthropology
- 45.0205 Forensic Anthropology
- 45.0299 Anthropology, Other