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2024 Best Anthropology Schools

353 Colleges in the United States
10,974 Anthropology Degrees Awarded
Ranked #75 in popularity, anthropology is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 353 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of anthropology. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 10,974 degrees in anthropology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Anthropology School

Best Anthropology Schools Your choice of anthropology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Anthropology School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Anthropology Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Anthropology
Bachelor's Degrees in Anthropology
Master's Degrees in Anthropology
Doctor's Degrees in Anthropology

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Anthropology Schools list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Anthropology in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of anthropology degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Anthropology

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CT

Yale University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in anthropology. Located in the midsize city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were approximately 22 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Yale University

2
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MA
43 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Any student pursuing a degree in anthropology needs to look into Harvard University. Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were approximately 43 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Harvard University

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In PA
27.6% Growth in Graduates

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in anthropology. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 29 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from University of Pennsylvania

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
62 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

University of Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in anthropology. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 62 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from University of Chicago

5
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In NC
15.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 20 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Duke University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
55 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were about 55 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Washington University in St Louis

7
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
20th Most Popular In CA

Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 28 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Stanford University

8
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In TX
29.4% Growth in Graduates

Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were roughly 17 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Rice University

9
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NJ
48 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Princeton. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 48 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Princeton University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In IL

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 23 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Northwestern University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
264 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 264 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Los Angeles

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In CA
118 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 118 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - Berkeley

13
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In TN

Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. This university ranks 1st out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 19 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Vanderbilt University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IN
34 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 34 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from University of Notre Dame

15
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In GA
62 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 62 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Emory University

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NY
79 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 79 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Columbia University in the City of New York

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NC
59 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. This university ranks 2nd out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 59 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VA
62 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 62 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from University of Virginia - Main Campus

19
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In RI
31 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Located in the medium-sized city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were roughly 31 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Brown University

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MD
38.5% Growth in Graduates

Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. This university ranks 1st out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 13 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Johns Hopkins University

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In DC
4.0% Growth in Graduates

GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were about 25 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from George Washington University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In CA
75 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 75 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from University of California - San Diego

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
17th Most Popular In NY

Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. This university ranks 3rd out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 16 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Cornell University

24
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In NY
45 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 45 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in anthropology from New York University

25
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NH
38 Anthropology Degrees Awarded

Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the remote town of Hanover. This college ranks 1st out of 17 schools for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were approximately 38 anthropology students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in anthropology from Dartmouth College

Rest of the Top Best Anthropology Schools

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29
30
31
32
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC

33

34
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
35
36
37
38
39
40
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
41
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA

42
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, CA

43
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
44
45
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
46
47
48
49
50

Remaining Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Anthropology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 353 different United States anthropology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
52 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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

Rank College Location
53 Barnard College New York, NY
54 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
55 American University Washington, DC
56 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
57 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
58 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
59 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
60 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
61 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
62 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
63 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
64 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
65 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
66 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
67 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
68 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
69 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
70 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA

Anthropology by Region

View the Best Anthropology 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

View All Rankings >

Anthropology is one of 5 different types of Anthropology programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Medical Anthropology 169
Other Anthropology 119
Cultural Anthropology 80
Physical & Biological Anthropology 50
Forensic Anthropology 23

View All Anthropology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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