2025 Best Anthropology Schools in California
33
Colleges in California
2,667
Anthropology Degrees Awarded
$28,899
Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in
anthropology is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #77 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 33 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for anthropology students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,667 degrees in anthropology to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Anthropology School
Your choice of anthropology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Anthropology School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Anthropology Rankings by Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Anthropology Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Anthropology in California
The schools below may not offer all types of anthropology degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top California Schools in Anthropology
It is difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you want to pursue a degree in anthropology. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were about 220 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Those anthropology students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles earn $3,401 more than the typical anthropology grad.
More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - Berkeley is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in anthropology. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 116 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the anthropology program make an average of $28,661 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Berkeley
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in Anthropology
Program Name
Explore societal similarities and differences as seen through cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic lenses when you earn one of your degrees in anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in Anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University
University of California - Santa Barbara is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in anthropology. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were about 149 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Anthropology degree recipients from University of California - Santa Barbara earn a boost of about $2,521 above the typical earnings of anthropology graduates.
More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Davis is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in anthropology. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were approximately 113 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the anthropology program make about $28,059 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Davis
UCSD is a very large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were approximately 69 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, anthropology degree recipients typically make an average of $28,543 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - San Diego
Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #219 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCR is a great university overall.
There were approximately 118 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, anthropology degree recipients typically make about $26,178 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Riverside
UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were about 66 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the anthropology program make around $30,509 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Irvine
UC Santa Cruz is a large public university located in the city of Santa Cruz. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.
There were approximately 118 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. After graduating, anthropology degree recipients generally earn around $23,152 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Santa Cruz
SFSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #225 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.
There were about 46 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the anthropology program state that they receive average early career income of $28,314.
More information about a degree in anthropology from San Francisco State University
SDSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 37 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, anthropology degree recipients typically earn around $25,553 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in anthropology from San Diego State University
