Classical and Ancient Studies Degrees (2026 stats)

Last updated: April 29, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

TL;DR

Classical and Ancient Studies maps to BLS occupations averaging about $135,756, with roughly 2,930 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 59%; median in-state published tuition is about $11,700.

Key Statistics

330
Total Degrees Awarded (2023)
$11,700
Median In-State Public Tuition
$60,182
Median Out-of-State Private Tuition
$135,756
Avg. Wage (related occupations)
2,930
Workers (related occupations)
59.4%
Median Graduation Rate (4-yr schools)

Classical and Ancient Studies: what the data shows

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

What is a classical and ancient studies degree?

A Classical and Ancient Studies program is classified under NCES CIP 00.3022 in the 00.0030 field family (00.30).

IPEDS counted 330 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.

Types of classical and ancient studies degrees and related programs

Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 family with pages on EDsmart Data:

What do you learn in classical and ancient studies?

O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Instructing, Speaking, Active Learning, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.

What degree do you need?

For Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies 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%).

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

What jobs can you get with a classical and ancient studies degree?

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

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian annual wage
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary11,430$84,290
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary12,680$75,890

See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.

Is a classical and ancient studies degree worth it?

Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $11,700 and median net price is $24,783.

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

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Classical and Ancient Studies and the types of students that study this field.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$11,700 Median In-State Public

$60,182 Median Out of State Private

Tuition costs for Classical and Ancient Studies majors are, on average, $11,700 for in-state public colleges, and $60,182 for out of state private colleges.

Tuition costs comparison for Classical and Ancient Studies programs.

Degrees Awarded Over Time

330 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Classical and Ancient Studies from 2015 to 2023.

Historical trend of degrees awarded in Classical and Ancient Studies.

Top 5 Schools by Enrollment

# School State Enrollment
1 The University of Texas at Austin TX 42,100
2 Purdue University-Main Campus IN 39,637
3 University of Wisconsin-Madison WI 35,665
4 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI 33,488
5 University of California-Berkeley CA 33,073

Schools with the largest enrollment offering Classical and Ancient Studies programs.

Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition

# School State Tuition
1 Florida Atlantic University FL $4,879
2 Utah State University UT $9,228
3 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire WI $9,277
4 Purdue University-Main Campus IN $9,992
5 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI $10,020

Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Classical and Ancient Studies programs.

Top 5 Lowest Net Price

# School State Net Price
1 Florida Atlantic University FL $8,001
2 University of Illinois Chicago IL $12,313
3 Rice University TX $12,640
4 University of California-Irvine CA $12,840
5 Utah State University UT $12,869

Schools with the lowest average net price for Classical and Ancient Studies programs.

Graduation Rates

59.36% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)

57.43% Average Graduation Rate

144 Institutions Reporting

43.88% - 71.16% Interquartile Range

Graduation/completion rates for Classical and Ancient Studies programs across institutions.

Related specializations

Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.

Careers & Jobs

Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.

Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $135,756. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Classical and Ancient Studies graduates alone.

Related occupations (BLS OEWS)

Occupation Mean annual wage U.S. employment
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$129,63011,430
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$141,27812,680

Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.

Employment

Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

$137,183 Average Wage in Workforce

The average salary for Classical and Ancient Studies majors is $137,183.

Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Classical and Ancient Studies majors.

Occupations by Share

2,930 2023 Workforce

The number of Classical and Ancient Studies graduates in the workforce has been growing.

Various jobs filled by those with a major in Classical and Ancient Studies by share of the total number of graduates.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Classical and Ancient Studies in the United States.

Workforce Age

N/A Average Age in 2023

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Classical and Ancient Studies.

Age distribution for Classical and Ancient Studies degree holders in the workforce.

Gender Distribution

Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Gender distribution of Classical and Ancient Studies degree recipients.

Race and Ethnicity Distribution

Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Racial and ethnic distribution of Classical and Ancient Studies degree recipients.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Classical and Ancient Studies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.

Distribution of degree types awarded in Classical and Ancient Studies.

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Classical and Ancient Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Required Skills

Classical and Ancient Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.

Rating of how necessary various skills are for Classical and Ancient Studies majors.

Skills Bar Chart

This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.

Skill importance ratings for Classical and Ancient Studies majors.

About

Classical and Ancient Studies

In 2023, 330 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Classical and Ancient Studies.

CIP Code

00.3022 - Classical and Ancient Studies

What the data shows

Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $135,756. The largest mapped role by headcount is Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (11,430 U.S. jobs in OEWS).

Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $11,700 in-state at public colleges and $60,182 at private institutions for programs in this field.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.

All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.