2026 Best Value Physical & Biological Anthropology Schools
[Physical & Biological Anthropology](/majors/social-sciences/anthropology/physical-and-biological-anthropology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value physical & biological anthropology schools.
What’s on this page:
Finding the Best Value Physical & Biological Anthropology School for You
The physical & biological anthropology program you select can have a big impact on your finances and your future. That is why we developed our Best Value Physical & Biological 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.
See how we build our rankings
Customize Your Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Best Value Physical & Biological Anthropology Schools list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
2026 Best Value Physical & Biological Anthropology Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in physical & biological anthropology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Physical & Biological Anthropology Schools
For return on investment in physical & biological anthropology, no school beat University Of California San Diego this year. University Of California San Diego is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,788, compared with $47,676 for out-of-state students. Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates carry a median of $13,958 in student loans. Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates of University Of California San Diego earn a median of $60,797 early in their careers. Set against $13,958 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California San Diego admits about 27% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Harvard University earned it the #2 place for physical & biological anthropology. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $61,676. Typical student debt for physical & biological anthropology graduates is $16,616. Soon after graduation, physical & biological anthropology degree recipients from Harvard University generally make around $95,207. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Harvard University admits about 4% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in physical & biological anthropology will find it at University Of Nebraska Lincoln, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,434 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,584 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for physical & biological anthropology graduates is $21,260. Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates of University Of Nebraska Lincoln earn a median of $49,755 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
A rank of #4 makes Ohio State University Main Campus one of the best values for physical & biological anthropology. Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Columbus. In-state tuition and fees average $13,244, while out-of-state students pay about $40,022. Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates carry a median of $22,834 in student loans. Soon after graduation, physical & biological anthropology degree recipients from Ohio State University Main Campus generally make around $28,172. Set against $22,834 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ohio State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in physical & biological anthropology will find it at Stony Brook University, which ranked #5. Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,931, compared with $32,741 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for physical & biological anthropology graduates is $19,449. Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates of Stony Brook University earn a median of $60,047 early in their careers. Set against $19,449 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 49%.
Kent State University At Kent placed #6 among the best values for physical & biological anthropology. Set in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,220, with out-of-state students paying around $21,575. Students borrow a median of $26,697 to complete the physical & biological anthropology program here. Early-career physical & biological anthropology graduates make about $44,776. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Suny At Binghamton landed the #7 spot for physical & biological anthropology value this year. Set in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,567 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $30,447. Typical student debt for physical & biological anthropology graduates is $22,250. Early-career physical & biological anthropology graduates make about $51,766. That is a strong return on a $22,250 median debt. Suny At Binghamton admits about 39% of applicants.
Boston University earned the #8 position for value in physical & biological anthropology this year. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,102. Typical student debt for physical & biological anthropology graduates is $25,250. Early-career physical & biological anthropology graduates make about $26,934. That is a strong return on a $25,250 median debt. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
New York University landed the #9 spot for physical & biological anthropology value this year. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. In-state tuition and fees average $62,796. Typical student debt for physical & biological anthropology graduates is $21,897. Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates of New York University earn a median of $64,516 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
George Washington University landed the #10 spot for physical & biological anthropology value this year. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for physical & biological anthropology graduates is $27,000. Physical & Biological Anthropology graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $22,614 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
Narrow Physical & Biological Anthropology Schools by Region
View All Rankings >
Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to Physical & Biological Anthropology. See all related rankings.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
