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Anthropology Major

Anthropology

941 Master's Degrees Annually
469 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#119 in Popularity (Master's)

Types of Degrees Anthropology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many anthropology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 1,028
Doctor’s Degree 472
Graduate Certificate 37

What Anthropology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, anthropology majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Anthropology Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Anthropology Majors

anthropology majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Anthropology Majors

As you progress with your anthropology degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Anthropology Major?

People with a anthropology degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Anthropologists 3.9% $62,410
Anthropology and Archeology Professors 9.9% $83,940
Compliance Managers 8.0% $107,480
Regulatory Affairs Managers 8.0% $107,480

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Anthropology?

1,028 Master's Degrees Annually
70% Percent Women
26% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 70% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of anthropology majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 39
Black or African American 46
Hispanic or Latino 134
White 622
International Students 110
Other Races/Ethnicities 77

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Anthropology. About 10.7% of those with this major are international students.

Some careers associated with anthropology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to anthropology have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 2.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 1.5%
Some College Courses 0.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 2.1%
Bachelor’s Degree 34.3%
Master’s Degree 20.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 1.9%
Doctoral Degree 34.8%
Post-Doctoral Training 2.8%

Online Anthropology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 4 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 2 0
Associate’s Degree 128 15
Bachelor’s Degree 24 4
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 177 3
Post-Master’s 2 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 108 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to anthropology.

Major Number of Grads
Political Science & Government 46,438
Economics 46,225
Sociology 33,194
General Social Sciences 17,458
International Relations & National Security 14,086
Geography & Cartography 7,541
Other Social Sciences 2,069
Urban Studies 1,301
Sociology & Anthropology 552
Archeology 339
Demography & Population Studies 81

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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