2026 Best Value Anthropology Schools in Texas

[Anthropology](/majors/social-sciences/anthropology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong anthropology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 26 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value anthropology schools.
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2026 Best Value Anthropology Schools in Texas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in anthropology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Anthropology Schools
The University Of Texas Pan American tops our 2026 list of the best value anthropology schools in Texas. Located in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,799 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,645 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for anthropology graduates is $11,427. Anthropology graduates of The University Of Texas Pan American earn a median of $21,213 early in their careers. Set against $11,427 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Houston Clear Lake came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value anthropology schools. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston Clear Lake is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,346, while out-of-state students pay about $22,290. Students borrow a median of $29,444 to complete the anthropology program here. Early-career anthropology graduates make about $51,252. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Houston Clear Lake admits about 90% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At San Antonio came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value anthropology schools. The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public school located in the city of San Antonio. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,326, compared with $22,249 for out-of-state students. Anthropology graduates carry a median of $21,329 in student loans. Anthropology graduates of The University Of Texas At San Antonio earn a median of $26,735 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At San Antonio admits about 87% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Houston earned it the #4 place for anthropology. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,717, compared with $22,547 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,750 to complete the anthropology program here. Anthropology graduates of University Of Houston earn a median of $34,669 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Houston admits about 74% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in anthropology will find it at University Of North Texas, which ranked #5. University Of North Texas is a very large public school located in the city of Denton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,309, compared with $21,149 for out-of-state students. Anthropology graduates carry a median of $21,168 in student loans. Early-career anthropology graduates make about $28,160. That is a strong return on a $21,168 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Arlington placed #6 among the best values for anthropology. The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public school located in the city of Arlington. Students from in state pay about $11,950 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,582 for out-of-state students. Anthropology graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Early-career anthropology graduates make about $17,229. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Texas State University San Marcos ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value anthropology schools. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,450, while out-of-state students pay about $22,930. Typical student debt for anthropology graduates is $25,000. Anthropology graduates of Texas State University San Marcos earn a median of $39,289 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
The University Of Texas At Austin earned the #8 position for value in anthropology this year. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Students borrow a median of $22,523 to complete the anthropology program here. Anthropology graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $31,369 early in their careers. Set against $22,523 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
Texas Tech University came in at #9 for value in anthropology this year. Set in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,852 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,157 for out-of-state students. Anthropology graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, anthropology degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $30,385. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Texas A And M University College Station landed the #10 spot for anthropology value this year. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,995, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,264 to complete the anthropology program here. Soon after graduation, anthropology degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $28,202. That is a strong return on a $21,264 median debt. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
Baylor University earned the #11 position for value in anthropology this year. Located in the city of Waco, Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,100. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the anthropology program here. Anthropology graduates of Baylor University earn a median of $28,369 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 51%.
More Anthropology Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 26 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.