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2025 Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools

26 Colleges in the United States
1,028 Master's Degrees
$39,131 Avg Early-Career Salary
Anthropology is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #119 most popular master's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 26 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,028 master's degrees in anthropology to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Anthropology School for Your Master's Degree

Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools The anthropology master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality anthropology program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for anthropology students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Anthropology Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Anthropology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Anthropology in the United States

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in anthropology.

10 Top Schools for a Master's in Anthropology

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
24 Annual Graduates

Harvard University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in anthropology. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Harvard University

2
35 Annual Graduates

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in anthropology. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Columbia University in the City of New York

3
12 Annual Graduates

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in anthropology. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

4
13 Annual Graduates

George Washington University is a good option for students interested in a master's degree in anthropology. Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from George Washington University

5
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
14 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Boston University

6
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
13 Annual Graduates

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in anthropology from New York University

7
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
13 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from American University

8
15 Annual Graduates

UT Knoxville is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Knoxville.More information about a master’s in anthropology from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

9
10 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of Maryland - College Park

10

Binghamton University is a large public university located in the midsize suburb of Vestal.

Soon after graduating, anthropology master's recipients typically make about $31,996 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in anthropology from Binghamton University

Anthropology by Region

View the Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Anthropology is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Anthropology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Anthropology 926
Other Anthropology 37
Physical & Biological Anthropology 35
Cultural Anthropology 19
Forensic Anthropology 10
Medical Anthropology 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 5,317
International Relations & National Security 5,262
Political Science & Government 2,000
General Social Sciences 1,618
Sociology 1,358
Geography & Cartography 1,193
Urban Studies 327
Other Social Sciences 315
Archeology 52
Demography & Population Studies 46

Notes and References

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