2026 Best Value Cultural Anthropology Schools

[Cultural Anthropology](/majors/social-sciences/anthropology/cultural-anthropology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 15 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value cultural anthropology schools.
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Finding the Best Value Cultural Anthropology School for You
Where you study cultural anthropology affects both what you pay and what you earn. That is why we developed our Best Value Cultural Anthropology Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
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Customizing Your List
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Cultural Anthropology Schools list, to help you decide. 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 have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
2026 Best Value Cultural Anthropology Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in cultural anthropology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Cultural Anthropology Schools
University Of Washington Seattle Campus tops our 2026 list of the best value cultural anthropology schools in the United States. Set in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,973 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $43,209. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the cultural anthropology program here. Soon after graduation, cultural anthropology degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $32,778. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
Brigham Young University Hawaii came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value cultural anthropology schools. Brigham Young University Hawaii is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Laie. Students from in state pay about $6,630 in tuition and fees. Early-career cultural anthropology graduates make about $41,461. Brigham Young University Hawaii admits about 47% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at East Carolina University earned it the #3 place for cultural anthropology. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,361, while out-of-state students pay about $23,638. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the cultural anthropology program here. Cultural Anthropology graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $24,228 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Students looking for strong value in cultural anthropology will find it at Missouri State University Springfield, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,502, while out-of-state students pay about $18,770. Typical student debt for cultural anthropology graduates is $25,500. Soon after graduation, cultural anthropology degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $27,283. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Missouri State University Springfield admits about 90% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in cultural anthropology will find it at Boston University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,102. Typical student debt for cultural anthropology graduates is $25,250. Early-career cultural anthropology graduates make about $26,934. That is a strong return on a $25,250 median debt. Boston University admits about 11% of applicants.
Creighton University placed #6 among the best values for cultural anthropology. Creighton University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Omaha. In-state tuition and fees average $48,856. Cultural Anthropology graduates carry a median of $25,831 in student loans. Cultural Anthropology graduates of Creighton University earn a median of $64,369 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,831 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
The New School placed #7 among the best values for cultural anthropology. Set in the city of New York, The New School is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $58,730 in tuition and fees. Cultural Anthropology graduates carry a median of $24,460 in student loans. Early-career cultural anthropology graduates make about $38,468. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
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Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to Cultural Anthropology. See all related rankings.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.