Cultural Anthropology

CIP Code: 45.0204

A cultural anthropology degree prepares graduates for careers in Managers, all other, Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary, Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary and more. 13 colleges and universities offer this program.

Annual Degrees Awarded

                Colleges Offering
                13
            

                Avg. Career Salary
                $95,380
            

                Top Career Salary
                $136,550
            

Cultural Anthropology Salary by College

Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $46,676 four years after graduating (middle half: $32,056–$63,905). Where you study it matters: across 188 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $29,754 to $83,493.

Sort by:

#	College	4 yrs after	Wage-adjusted	1 yr after	Median debt	Outcome Rating
1	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY	$83,493	$79,468	—	$32,250	A+
2	Duke University Durham, NC	$81,120	$87,053	$43,924	—	A+
3	Emory University Atlanta, GA	$78,768	$81,541	$36,700	$21,515	A+
4	Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO	$71,018	$76,146	$34,489	$15,000	A+
5	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	$70,846	$65,256	$40,071	$14,363	A+
6	Fordham University Bronx, NY	$66,562	$63,353	$40,384	$22,562	A+
7	George Washington University Washington, DC	$65,172	$57,108	$22,614	$26,000	A+
8	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	$64,359	$58,562	$28,661	$12,572	A+
9	Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA	$62,674	$57,029	$31,744	$17,614	B
10	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	$61,300	$55,779	$28,314	$16,500	B
11	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA	$60,841	$55,401	$30,686	$20,500	B+
12	CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY	$60,488	$57,572	$38,879	$10,663	C
13	Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL	$59,024	$57,991	$26,977	—	A
14	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY	$58,329	$55,517	$23,845	$17,699	A
15	Brandeis University Waltham, MA	$57,423	$50,567	$35,390	$26,000	A
16	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA	$56,982	$51,850	$28,543	$13,500	A+
17	Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA	$56,847	$65,805	$24,042	$19,500	A+
18	University of California-Davis Davis, CA	$56,836	$51,717	$28,059	$14,000	A
19	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	$56,589	$60,728	$36,211	$12,500	A+
21	Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ	$56,468	$49,561	$36,978	$25,154	B+
20	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	$56,468	$49,561	$36,978	$25,154	A
22	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	$56,238	$51,173	$31,420	$18,000	A
23	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY	$55,981	$53,282	$32,493	$20,253	C+
24	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA	$55,879	$57,846	—	—	C
25	Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ	$55,868	$49,034	$46,302	$24,000	B
26	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	$55,624	$59,674	$28,587	$17,472	A+
27	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK	$55,399	$62,200	$27,704	$21,920	A
28	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO	$55,217	$51,639	$36,822	$18,583	B+
33	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT	$54,907	$49,434	$33,758	$17,500	B+
32	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT	$54,907	$49,434	$33,758	$17,500	B+
31	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT	$54,907	$49,434	$33,758	$17,500	B+
30	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT	$54,907	$49,434	$33,758	$17,500	B+
29	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	$54,907	$49,434	$33,758	$17,500	A
34	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	$54,905	$49,960	$32,300	$14,579	A+
35	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL	$54,890	$53,929	—	—	C+
36	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	$54,773	$56,994	—	$16,166	A+
37	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	$54,092	$49,220	$26,794	$16,419	C+
38	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	$53,991	$49,128	$25,553	$12,886	B
39	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA	$53,927	$54,844	$29,813	$23,125	C
40	Boston University Boston, MA	$53,722	$47,308	$26,934	$25,250	A+
41	College of Charleston Charleston, SC	$53,567	$59,398	$26,842	$22,632	B
42	Binghamton University Vestal, NY	$53,460	$50,883	$30,978	$20,587	A
43	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	$53,212	$48,944	$32,778	$11,715	A
44	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	$53,196	$50,632	$16,844	$22,499	A
45	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	$53,125	$49,682	$21,930	$25,783	F
46	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	$53,042	$55,927	$24,079	$13,997	A+
47	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD	$53,038	$46,547	$33,837	$20,070	A+
48	American University Washington, DC	$53,036	$46,473	—	—	A
49	University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	$52,315	$47,603	$23,152	$16,035	B+
50	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX	$52,227	$53,100	$28,202	$20,554	A
51	California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA	$51,951	$47,272	$26,502	$19,375	C+
52	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	$51,907	$50,998	$30,648	$21,500	B+
53	University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA	$51,811	$47,179	$30,609	$12,500	A+
54	CUNY Hunter College New York, NY	$51,787	$49,290	$26,680	$8,772	B
55	University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO	$51,715	$48,364	$35,432	$25,000	D
56	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH	$51,100	$47,068	$41,986	$22,164	C
57	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA	$50,850	$46,270	$30,509	$16,000	A
58	DePaul University Chicago, IL	$50,780	$49,891	$18,950	$24,707	B+
59	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	$50,703	$46,636	$27,851	$21,727	C+
60	Baylor University Waco, TX	$50,699	$51,546	$28,369	$27,000	A
61	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA	$50,640	$51,501	$23,716	$27,000	A
62	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	$50,376	$44,361	—	—	D
63	Illinois State University Normal, IL	$50,177	$49,299	$25,913	$24,250	B
64	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	$50,055	$53,416	$28,172	$20,500	A
65	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	$49,987	$51,341	$31,717	$19,250	B+
66	California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA	$49,848	$45,358	—	$16,250	C+
67	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	$49,641	$45,203	$22,732	$13,996	C
69	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ	$49,597	$50,962	$31,640	$20,000	B+
68	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	$49,597	$50,962	$31,640	$20,000	B+
70	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	$49,351	$52,915	$31,926	$15,430	A
71	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA	$49,187	$44,757	$20,949	$15,000	C+
72	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV	$48,607	$50,448	$27,907	$22,000	B
73	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	$48,486	$49,296	$31,369	$19,809	A+
74	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	$48,367	$44,011	$32,460	$18,750	C+
75	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	$48,230	$50,853	$26,858	$25,486	C+
76	University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL	$48,132	$51,230	$32,477	$18,000	B
77	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	$48,010	$45,860	$31,219	$20,500	A
78	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM	$47,958	$55,528	$31,729	$19,600	C
79	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	$47,811	$49,750	$33,261	$24,491	C+
80	University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK	$47,547	$45,534	—	—	D
81	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	$47,485	$49,078	—	$18,386	B
82	Wichita State University Wichita, KS	$47,392	$49,201	$34,275	$18,975	C
84	University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL	$47,348	$50,396	$29,036	$14,491	A
83	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	$47,348	$50,396	$29,036	$14,491	A+
85	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ	$47,225	$41,449	$31,018	$24,250	C+
86	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	$47,179	$48,840	$30,544	$21,500	C+
87	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	$47,166	$42,918	$22,351	$11,229	B
88	University at Albany Albany, NY	$47,095	$44,825	$29,900	$19,500	B+
89	University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA	$46,740	$48,385	$31,619	$22,782	D
90	Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI	$46,628	$49,164	—	—	B
91	University of Memphis Memphis, TN	$46,560	$50,862	$23,112	$20,000	C
93	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	$46,328	$47,116	$25,742	$24,667	A
92	University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Greensburg, PA	$46,328	$47,116	$25,742	$24,667	B
94	California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA	$46,321	$42,149	—	—	C+
95	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	$45,920	$46,191	$27,775	$22,000	B
96	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	$45,890	$49,246	$29,518	$23,953	A
97	Fort Lewis College Durango, CO	$45,833	$42,863	$25,891	$18,013	F
98	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	$45,821	$41,694	$26,178	$21,250	B+
99	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC	$45,809	$49,160	$28,262	$20,732	C
100	University of North Texas Denton, TX	$45,664	$46,427	$28,160	$20,500	C+
102	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR	$45,184	$45,450	$32,573	$25,000	B
101	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR	$45,184	$45,450	$32,573	$25,000	B+
103	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	$44,974	$44,187	$23,379	$23,752	C+
104	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	$44,738	$51,788	$21,787	$15,897	A
105	Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA	$44,440	$45,196	$22,326	—	C+
106	Ball State University Muncie, IN	$44,371	$47,602	$24,452	$22,250	C+
112	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	$44,327	$47,304	$27,806	$25,000	B
111	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	$44,327	$47,304	$27,806	$25,000	C+
110	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	$44,327	$47,304	$27,806	$25,000	C
109	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	$44,327	$47,304	$27,806	$25,000	B
108	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	$44,327	$47,304	$27,806	$25,000	B
107	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	$44,327	$47,304	$27,806	$25,000	C
113	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	$44,283	$47,134	$24,331	$19,027	B+
114	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	$44,274	$42,140	$29,460	$22,000	B+
115	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	$44,228	$47,463	$25,901	$27,000	C
116	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA	$44,089	$40,552	$20,318	$20,500	C+
117	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	$43,930	$51,768	$26,878	$22,333	B+
118	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	$43,885	$45,093	$33,094	$21,869	B
119	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	$43,793	$44,538	$30,261	$25,000	B+
120	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	$43,564	$49,328	$29,966	$19,860	B
121	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	$43,554	$42,792	$16,197	$15,875	A+
122	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	$43,492	$41,220	$27,844	$23,500	B+
123	Iowa State University Ames, IA	$43,443	$45,697	$25,014	$26,500	B+
124	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	$43,192	$39,302	$26,278	$15,924	C
125	California State University-Chico Chico, CA	$43,153	$39,266	$27,856	$18,263	B
126	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	$43,129	$40,334	$27,178	$21,500	C+
127	University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA	$43,053	$37,913	$36,565	$22,750	C+
128	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	$42,913	$43,630	$30,385	$26,000	B+
129	Washington State University Pullman, WA	$42,888	$39,448	$25,519	$17,000	B
130	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	$42,796	$45,123	$27,350	$27,000	B
131	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	$42,791	$45,546	—	$19,250	A
132	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC	$42,758	$47,412	$23,785	$18,000	A
133	Hamline University Saint Paul, MN	$42,751	$40,836	$32,498	$27,000	C+
134	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	$42,707	$45,817	$26,476	$14,375	A
135	University of Georgia Athens, GA	$42,667	$44,169	$20,396	$20,003	A
136	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA	$42,604	$43,329	—	—	C
137	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	$42,549	$44,756	$27,221	$24,250	A
138	SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY	$42,216	$40,181	$26,218	—	B+
139	University of Houston Houston, TX	$42,146	$42,850	$34,669	$19,125	B+
140	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	$42,107	$45,187	$19,624	$21,531	C+
141	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	$41,767	$45,626	$24,772	$26,949	B+
142	Portland State University Portland, OR	$41,759	$42,005	$34,862	$17,937	C+
143	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	$41,512	$43,770	$28,617	$27,750	A
144	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	$41,490	$43,746	$22,670	$29,000	C+
145	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX	$41,472	$42,165	$26,735	$18,625	C+
146	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA	$41,464	$37,730	$19,868	$17,986	F
147	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS	$41,426	$43,007	$18,567	$20,500	B
148	St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD	$41,309	$36,253	—	$25,000	C
149	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA	$41,274	$36,346	$19,655	$21,053	C+
150	Ashford University San Diego, CA	$41,266	$37,549	$34,382	$26,258	F
151	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	$41,242	$40,520	—	$25,000	C
152	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	$40,927	$43,920	$24,228	$26,375	B
153	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	$40,706	$41,386	$30,108	$23,250	C+
154	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	$40,662	$43,392	$24,434	$25,425	D
155	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	$40,630	$42,169	$33,787	$17,086	C+
156	The University of Montana Missoula, MT	$40,550	$44,294	$30,011	$25,000	D
157	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH	$40,510	$37,314	$30,380	$27,000	B
158	California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA	$40,417	$36,777	$25,354	$12,700	C
159	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY	$40,415	$45,762	$19,495	—	D
160	University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO	$40,397	$43,314	$22,687	$25,000	C+
161	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA	$40,306	$41,725	$21,157	$21,125	D
162	SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, NY	$40,048	$38,117	$18,085	$15,250	F
163	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	$40,018	$42,932	—	$18,399	C+
164	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	$39,597	$40,687	$20,144	$21,819	C+
165	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	$39,577	$41,729	$25,264	$27,982	C+
166	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	$39,319	$41,850	$26,922	$18,787	B+
167	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	$39,112	$41,973	$27,805	$26,000	B
168	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH	$38,972	$41,589	$14,647	$20,000	C
169	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	$38,870	$41,677	$27,283	$21,875	C
170	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	$38,727	$42,305	$21,878	$21,507	C
171	Idaho State University Pocatello, ID	$38,342	$40,771	—	—	D
172	Utah State University Logan, UT	$38,051	$36,063	$27,831	$17,500	C
173	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	$37,581	$34,194	—	$20,000	C
174	Wheaton College Wheaton, IL	$37,501	$36,844	—	—	B+
175	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	$37,443	$34,071	$27,750	$9,500	B+
176	Weber State University Ogden, UT	$37,287	$35,339	$30,139	$29,046	B+
177	Boise State University Boise, ID	$36,830	$39,164	—	$25,475	C+
178	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	$35,701	$40,524	—	—	B+
179	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX	$34,505	$35,081	$21,213	$9,605	D
180	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA	$34,102	$35,871	—	—	B
181	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	$33,527	$35,778	$34,701	$23,000	B
182	University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC	$33,461	$35,908	$25,198	$22,987	B
183	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL	$33,389	$35,538	$26,418	$18,500	B
184	CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY	$33,127	$31,530	—	—	C+
185	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	$32,834	$33,383	$17,229	$19,441	B
186	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL	$31,991	$36,313	—	$21,500	B
187	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA	$31,186	$27,463	$24,120	—	B+
188	Beloit College Beloit, WI	$29,754	$30,960	$21,949	$24,472	C+

Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.

What Can You Do With a Cultural Anthropology Degree?

Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:

Managers, all other

$136,550 +4.5% growth

View Career →

Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary

$95,770 +2.7% growth

View Career →

Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary

$84,290 +2.4% growth

View Career →

Anthropologists and archeologists

$64,910 +3.7% growth

View Career →

$95,380

Average Salary Across Careers

$136,550

Highest Paying Career

Career Paths Available

Best Colleges for Cultural Anthropology

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in cultural anthropology.

#	College	Location	Degrees Awarded	Repit Grade
1	Boston University	Boston, MA	8	A
2	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Seattle, WA	3	B+
3	Northeastern University	Boston, MA	1	B+
4	The New School	New York, NY	18	B
5	Brigham Young University-Hawaii	Laie, HI	12	B
6	Creighton University	Omaha, NE	4	B
7	Missouri State University-Springfield	Springfield, MO	12	C+
8	University of Southern Maine	Portland, ME	8	C+
9	Stonehill College	Easton, MA	4	C+
10	East Carolina University	Greenville, NC	4	C+
11	Arcadia University	Glenside, PA	1	C+
12	Missouri Southern State University	Joplin, MO	1	C
13	Ashford University	San Diego, CA	3	D

Largest Programs

Program size data is being calculated. Check back soon!

Degrees Awarded Annually

Colleges Offering Program

Related Careers

About Cultural Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology is a degree program offered at 13 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 79 students graduate with this degree.

Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as managers, all other, anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary, area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary, anthropologists and archeologists.

Program Classification

CIP Code 45.0204

Field (2-digit CIP) 45

Category (4-digit CIP) 45.02

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do with a Cultural Anthropology degree?

A Cultural Anthropology degree can lead to careers as a managers, all other, anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary, area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary, anthropologists and archeologists, and more. Top earners in related careers can make up to $136,550 annually.

How many colleges offer Cultural Anthropology?

13 colleges and universities in the United States offer Cultural Anthropology as a degree program. Each year, approximately 79 students graduate with this degree.

What are the best colleges for Cultural Anthropology?

The best colleges for Cultural Anthropology based on Repit's ratings include Boston University, University of Washington-Seattle Campus, Northeastern University, The New School, Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Rankings are based on the college's overall Repit grade and the number of degrees awarded in this program.

What is the salary potential with a Cultural Anthropology degree?

Graduates with a Cultural Anthropology degree can expect average salaries around $95,380 in related careers, with top earners making up to $136,550. Actual salaries depend on the specific career path, experience level, and location.

Cultural Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology Salary by College

What Can You Do With a Cultural Anthropology Degree?

Managers, all other

Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary

Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary

Anthropologists and archeologists

Best Colleges for Cultural Anthropology

Largest Programs

About Cultural Anthropology

Program Classification

Frequently Asked Questions

Get the ZIP-level rental data BiggerPockets doesn’t show

What best describes you?

When are you looking to take action?

What interests you most?

You're in.