by our College Data Analytics Team
[Anthropology](/majors/social-sciences/anthropology/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their anthropology graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the early-career earnings of their anthropology graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send anthropology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned the #1 spot for highest-paid anthropology graduates in Michigan. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public institution. After graduating, anthropology degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor typically earn about $65,575 annually.
A rank of #2 makes Oakland University one of the highest-paying schools for anthropology. Set in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a public institution. Students who complete the anthropology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $40,417.
Strong graduate earnings at Michigan State University earned it the #3 place for anthropology. Michigan State University is a public school located in the city of East Lansing. Anthropology graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of about $56,484 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in anthropology will find them at Wayne State University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a public institution. Anthropology graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of about $48,665 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in anthropology will find them at Grand Valley State University, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Students who complete the anthropology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $40,889.
Central Michigan University earned the #6 position for anthropology graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a public institution. Students who complete the anthropology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $42,994.
Western Michigan University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying anthropology schools. Western Michigan University is a public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. Early-career anthropology graduates from Western Michigan University make a median of around $22,670 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries anthropology graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 7 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.