Best Anthropology Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

176

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$341,289

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$33,087

Cost of attendance

# College State 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 Duke University

Grad rate: 96.2%

 NC +$147,324 $65,916 $82,749 N/A Full ROI →
2 CUNY Lehman College

Grad rate: 51.2%

 NY +$17,511 $46,493 $13,456 $13,722 Full ROI →
3 SUNY Oneonta

Grad rate: 72.3%

 NY -$59,337 $45,936 $27,258 $21,500 Full ROI →
4 New York University

Grad rate: 87.8%

 NY -$89,384 $53,355 $79,121 N/A Full ROI →
5 Monmouth University

Grad rate: 69.2%

 NJ -$101,117 $50,688 $60,113 $25,500 Full ROI →
6 California State University-Dominguez Hills

Grad rate: 46.7%

 CA -$103,356 $39,922 $15,449 N/A Full ROI →
7 Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Grad rate: 27.4%

 AZ -$107,245 $38,359 N/A $25,500 Full ROI →
8 University of Maryland-College Park

Grad rate: 88.9%

 MD -$127,626 $42,588 $28,073 $20,070 Full ROI →
9 University of Wisconsin-Madison

Grad rate: 89.3%

 WI -$130,436 $42,367 $27,770 $19,775 Full ROI →
10 Illinois State University

Grad rate: 66.7%

 IL -$136,211 $43,391 $32,458 $25,333 Full ROI →
11 Rhodes College

Grad rate: 83.3%

 TN -$142,300 $48,496 $68,055 N/A Full ROI →
12 University of Houston

Grad rate: 64.0%

 TX -$145,216 $41,286 $25,056 $22,750 Full ROI →
13 California State University-Stanislaus

Grad rate: 56.6%

 CA -$145,428 $38,437 $18,542 N/A Full ROI →
14 University at Albany

Grad rate: 64.7%

 NY -$154,667 $41,534 $28,490 $23,250 Full ROI →
15 California State University-Fullerton

Grad rate: 69.3%

 CA -$160,413 $38,305 $16,767 $14,404 Full ROI →
16 California State University-Los Angeles

Grad rate: 52.0%

 CA -$180,692 $37,341 $17,153 $14,000 Full ROI →
17 University at Buffalo

Grad rate: 73.5%

 NY -$181,407 $40,392 $29,043 $24,500 Full ROI →
18 Minnesota State University Moorhead

Grad rate: 55.0%

 MN -$183,136 $37,727 $24,419 N/A Full ROI →
19 California State University-Sacramento

Grad rate: 55.1%

 CA -$197,067 $38,085 $22,714 $20,675 Full ROI →
20 Brandeis University

Grad rate: 86.7%

 MA -$205,552 $49,902 $82,123 $26,000 Full ROI →
21 Rutgers University-Newark

Grad rate: 66.9%

 NJ -$217,608 $39,675 $33,749 $26,750 Full ROI →
22 George Washington University

Grad rate: 85.0%

 DC -$219,298 $49,003 $80,727 $27,000 Full ROI →
23 Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Grad rate: 67.4%

 AZ -$219,433 $38,359 $28,047 $25,500 Full ROI →
24 University of California-Los Angeles

Grad rate: 92.6%

 CA -$220,622 $39,310 $36,643 $15,000 Full ROI →
25 CUNY Queens College

Grad rate: 58.4%

 NY -$221,639 $34,648 $13,643 $14,835 Full ROI →
26 Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Grad rate: 84.7%

 NJ -$223,540 $39,675 $35,232 $26,750 Full ROI →
27 University of California-Irvine

Grad rate: 86.3%

 CA -$225,364 $39,081 $36,121 $16,667 Full ROI →
28 University of West Florida

Grad rate: 57.0%

 FL -$228,356 $34,283 $18,504 N/A Full ROI →
29 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Grad rate: 45.6%

 CO -$230,853 $37,460 $23,369 $34,502 Full ROI →
30 University of California-Santa Barbara

Grad rate: 85.5%

 CA -$234,349 $38,954 $36,776 $19,500 Full ROI →
31 Ashford University

Grad rate: 9.3%

 CA -$235,973 $39,200 $30,866 $41,859 Full ROI →
32 James Madison University

Grad rate: 81.0%

 VA -$236,087 $37,622 $30,213 $20,500 Full ROI →
33 University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Grad rate: 84.0%

 WA -$238,988 $36,917 $30,282 $12,000 Full ROI →
34 CUNY Hunter College

Grad rate: 58.7%

 NY -$241,690 $33,266 $13,310 $10,200 Full ROI →
35 University of Hawaii at Manoa

Grad rate: 62.5%

 HI -$250,663 $35,617 $23,832 $20,500 Full ROI →
36 Wayne State University

Grad rate: 58.3%

 MI -$253,881 $36,453 $26,794 $26,493 Full ROI →
37 Oregon State University-Cascades Campus

Grad rate: 53.7%

 OR -$254,592 $36,639 $27,461 $27,799 Full ROI →
38 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Grad rate: 91.7%

 NC -$255,099 $35,090 $25,181 $11,982 Full ROI →
39 University of Florida-Online

Grad rate: 78.1%

 FL -$256,186 $33,586 $17,036 $14,639 Full ROI →
40 University of California-Berkeley

Grad rate: 93.5%

 CA -$257,373 $38,547 $42,708 $12,949 Full ROI →
41 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Grad rate: 84.6%

 MN -$259,628 $36,399 $29,013 $23,375 Full ROI →
42 Miami University-Oxford

Grad rate: 81.3%

 OH -$264,205 $38,052 $37,218 $26,943 Full ROI →
43 Oregon State University

Grad rate: 70.3%

 OR -$264,452 $36,639 $29,926 $27,799 Full ROI →
44 Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Grad rate: 66.8%

 CO -$265,169 $36,393 $29,696 $25,367 Full ROI →
45 Oakland University

Grad rate: 57.3%

 MI -$266,664 $33,670 $25,016 N/A Full ROI →
46 University of Florida

Grad rate: 90.7%

 FL -$274,918 $33,586 $21,719 $14,639 Full ROI →
47 Ball State University

Grad rate: 63.6%

 IN -$276,221 $34,792 $25,134 $23,352 Full ROI →
48 Western Carolina University

Grad rate: 59.8%

 NC -$279,091 $33,382 $19,057 $22,595 Full ROI →
49 University of Massachusetts-Boston

Grad rate: 51.1%

 MA -$279,800 $35,594 $29,698 $24,362 Full ROI →
50 University of Iowa

Grad rate: 73.4%

 IA -$283,641 $34,929 $26,883 $25,696 Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Anthropology Degrees by State

Browse Anthropology programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.

Alabama Best Anthropology → Arizona Best Anthropology → Arkansas Best Anthropology → California Best Anthropology → Colorado Best Anthropology → Connecticut Best Anthropology → Florida Best Anthropology → Georgia Best Anthropology → Hawaii Best Anthropology → Idaho Best Anthropology → Illinois Best Anthropology → Indiana Best Anthropology → Iowa Best Anthropology → Kentucky Best Anthropology → Louisiana Best Anthropology → Maryland Best Anthropology → Massachusetts Best Anthropology → Michigan Best Anthropology → Minnesota Best Anthropology → Missouri Best Anthropology → Montana Best Anthropology → Nevada Best Anthropology → New Jersey Best Anthropology → New Mexico Best Anthropology → New York Best Anthropology → North Carolina Best Anthropology → Ohio Best Anthropology → Oklahoma Best Anthropology → Oregon Best Anthropology → Pennsylvania Best Anthropology → Rhode Island Best Anthropology → South Carolina Best Anthropology → Tennessee Best Anthropology → Texas Best Anthropology → Utah Best Anthropology → Vermont Best Anthropology → Virginia Best Anthropology → Washington Best Anthropology → Wisconsin Best Anthropology →