DOCTORAL DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a doctoral degree in Anthropology worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 3 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$72,767 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$72,767Median year-4 earnings
$14,162Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$72,767Typical earnings four years after completion
$71,378Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
13thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
16Degrees awarded in 2024–25
3College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 3 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Anthropology
How much do Anthropology doctoral degree graduates earn?
The national median is $72,767 four years after completion across reportable doctoral degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Anthropology?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $72,423 to $72,767 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Anthropology?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,920
- Federal debt
- $23,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 208
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,283
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,767
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$72,423National median$72,76775th percentile$72,767
3 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
3 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 3 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Indiana University-Bloomington$74,5352Michigan State University$72,7673University of Florida$72,423Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →15%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Managers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeAnthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary$99,650 median wage5,240 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$57,840–$171,310 typical wage rangeAnthropologists and Archeologists$70,770 median wage8,990 jobs nationwide+6.0% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$49,050–$108,060 typical wage rangeMedical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$103,410 median wage172,340 jobs nationwide+12.6% projected growth through 2035 · 10,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$64,800–$177,780 typical wage rangeArea, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$85,020 median wage11,300 jobs nationwide+2.7% projected growth through 2035 · 1,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$52,070–$160,420 typical wage rangeForensic Science Technicians$72,060 median wage19,120 jobs nationwide+13.3% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,250–$117,250 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.