Anthropology, General Degrees (2026 stats)

Anthropology, General: what the data shows

Common questions about anthropology, general degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.

What is a anthropology, general degree?

A Anthropology, General program is classified under NCES CIP 45.0201 in the Anthropology field family (45.02).

A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs

IPEDS counted 7,771 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.

Types of anthropology, general degrees and related programs

Other NCES program codes in the 45.02 family with pages on EDsmart Data:

• Cultural Anthropology (CIP 45.0204)
• Forensic Anthropology (CIP 45.0205)
• Medical Anthropology (CIP 45.0203)
• Physical and Biological Anthropology (CIP 45.0202)

How long does it take to get a anthropology, general degree?

Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 45.0201 in our file:

• 880 Associate (9.2% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
• 7,771 Bachelor's (81.2% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
• 912 Master's (9.5% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
• 7 Doctorate (0.1% of IPEDS total)—varies by program

Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.

What do you learn in anthropology, general?

O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.

What degree do you need?

For Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 45.0201, but occupation data show multiple pathways.

O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.

What jobs can you get with a anthropology, general degree?

Our degree→occupation mapping links Anthropology, General to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.

See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.

Is a anthropology, general degree worth it?

College Scorecard national medians for the Anthropology bachelor's program family: median debt $24,061, median earnings $46,676 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.86.

About 7.7% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.

Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $9,992 and median net price is $16,778.

We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.