by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 58 U.S. colleges awarded 354 degrees and certificates in Classical & Ancient Studies. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 80% of graduates. College Factual ranks 5 schools in its 2027 Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $32,054 one year after completing, rising to $40,615 after four years.
Dive deep into history with a major in Classical and Ancient Studies. Explore past languages, history, art, and religion as you study both Western and non-Western cultures. Your coursework will involve decoding writing, looking at archaeology, and analyzing population changes. Some of the classes you will take include: archeology, ancient languages, history, art history, geography, religious studies, population studies, and environmental studies.
Some colleges have the opportunity to choose a concentration in the major. These include subjects like Ancient Civilizations or Archaeology and Classical Studies.
A degree in Classical & Ancient Studies explores Classical And Ancient Studies.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., classical & ancient studies is a popular field of study, with 354 degrees awarded annually. 58 colleges award classical & ancient studies degrees, an average of 6 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 32.
By level, the 354 awards include 283 bachelor’s degrees, 57 master’s degrees and 14 doctorates.
Women earned 65% of classical & ancient studies degrees and certificates in the latest year (229 of 354). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (230) and Hispanic or Latino (37), and international students earned 19.
College Factual ranks 5 schools in its 2027 Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools ranking, including 3 for bachelor’s degrees. It also ranks classical & ancient studies schools within 2 states. In all, 58 colleges offer classical & ancient studies programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Classical & Ancient Studies Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common classical & ancient studies credential is the bachelor’s degree: 283 of the 354 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to classical & ancient studies call most for Speaking, Reading Comprehension and Writing, and for knowledge of English Language, History and Archeology and Education and Training, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Expression and Written Comprehension.
Prospective students should love to read and explore history. Your reading lists will include an endless number of two to three thousand year old texts. These primary sources will help you better understand the cultures and regions of the past. You must be able to absorb and retain vast amounts of information and connect ideas between various subjects. Students are expected to write in-depth research papers and make class presentations.
Part of this major is studying populations and analyzing information from the lab. Observation and attention to detail will help you catch important details. Creative thinking will help you begin to piece together the mysterious past world.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a classical & ancient studies degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 283 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 57 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 14 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to classical & ancient studies, at 64.5%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 64.5% |
| Master’s degree | 30.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.5% |
| Post-doctoral training | 1.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 0.9% |
| First professional degree | 0.9% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.3% |
| Some college courses | 0.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.1% |
Source: O*NET Online.
5 occupations are related to Classical & Ancient Studies, with an average median salary of $59,893; the strongest outlook belongs to Anthropologists and Archeologists, at 12.9% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Professor, University Faculty Member, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor.
A degree in Classical and Ancient Studies allows you to go into various fields. Graduates may pursue careers as anthropologists, archaeologists, or historians. Competition may be fierce in this field. For those interested in other fields, grads are also successful in law, medicine, journalism, or business. These fields may require you to receive an advanced degree.
The occupation related to classical & ancient studies with the most projected jobs is History Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,269,153.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,269,153 | 10.5% |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 718,152 | 6.5% |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | 262,916 | 6.6% |
| Historians | 66,368 | -1.5% |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists | 12,925 | 12.9% |
Classical & Ancient Studies graduates earn a median $32,054 one year after completing their program, $40,615 after four years and $48,797 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $32,054 |
| 4 years | $40,615 |
| 5 years | $48,797 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to classical & ancient studies is Historians, with a median salary of $89,780.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Historians | $89,780 |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists | $72,345 |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | $51,341 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $47,517 |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | $38,484 |
Classical & Ancient Studies includes 3 concentrations that together award 354 degrees a year; by graduates, the largest are Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology (199), Ancient Studies/Civilization (153) and Classical and Ancient Studies, Other (2). It has 48 similar majors in the Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies field, which together award 150,068 degrees a year; the largest are Biological and Physical Sciences (29,811), Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (29,665) and Data Analytics (17,572). Browse all Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology | 199 |
| Ancient Studies/Civilization | 153 |
| Classical and Ancient Studies, Other | 2 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 29,811 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 29,665 |
| Data Analytics | 17,572 |
| Data Science | 11,772 |
| MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES | 11,175 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 6,906 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 5,644 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 5,569 |
| Sustainability Studies | 4,567 |
| Cognitive Science | 3,911 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
