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2024 Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools

136 Colleges in the United States
879 Master's Degrees
If you plan on getting your master's degree in anthropology, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #157 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 136 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 879 master's degrees in anthropology to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Anthropology School for Your Master's Degree

Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools The anthropology master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality anthropology program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for anthropology students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Anthropology Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Anthropology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.


 

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Anthropology in the United States

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in anthropology. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

23 Top Schools for a Master's in Anthropology

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Yale University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in anthropology. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Yale University

2
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
19 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in anthropology needs to take a look at Harvard University. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Harvard University

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4 Annual Graduates

Stanford University is a good option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in anthropology. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Stanford University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1 Annual Graduates

Northwestern University is a good choice for students pursuing a master's degree in anthropology. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Northwestern University

5
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Rice University

6
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Princeton University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
23 Annual Graduates

Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Columbia University in the City of New York

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12 Annual Graduates

WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Washington University in St Louis

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7 Annual Graduates

Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of Notre Dame

9
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Duke University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of California - Berkeley

10
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Brown University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Johns Hopkins University

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from George Washington University

12
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2 Annual Graduates

UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of Pennsylvania

13
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Vanderbilt University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Cornell University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9 Annual Graduates

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of California - Los Angeles

16
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4 Annual Graduates

Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta.More information about a master’s in anthropology from Emory University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8 Annual Graduates

UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of Chicago

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
7 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in anthropology from University of Southern California

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Annual Graduates

The Graduate Center is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in anthropology from The Graduate Center, CUNY

Rest of the Top Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Anthropology students that almost earned our Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
26 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
27 American University Washington, DC
21 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
22 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
23 New York University New York, NY
24 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
25 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA

Anthropology by Region

View the Best Anthropology Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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One of 5 majors within the Anthropology area of study, Anthropology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Other Anthropology 26
Cultural Anthropology 17
Physical & Biological Anthropology 16
Medical Anthropology 3

Notes and References

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