What are common fields of study within anthropology?–

Anthropology is often divided into four distinct subdisciplines: Biological or physical anthropology studies the biological development of humans or human-environmental adaptation. Forensic anthropology falls under biological and physical anthropology as an application of the anatomical science of anthropology that assists in the identification of deceased individuals. Cultural anthropology studies patterns of behavior and development of culture among societies. The study of how language is formulated, how communication is used, and how language influences social life is known as linguistic anthropology. Perhaps the most familiar application of anthropology is archaeology, which is the study of the past civilizations through the examination of artifacts.

Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Anthropology Degrees

Q: Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Badge for BEST FOR ANTHROPOLOGY LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

By Dr. James Barham and Dr. James Barham

Published: Nov 3, 2021
Updated: Nov 27, 2023

The best anthropology liberal arts colleges are those with rich histories of influence, proven through the work produced by the program’s faculty and alumni. Beyond demonstrating scholarly impact in the field, the best anthropology degree programs maximize your opportunities to interact with outstanding anthropology faculty. By focusing on the concentration of influential faculty within departments, our research shows that smaller schools can truly compete with the large ones — with the ultimate goal of helping you choose where you may receive the most personal attention and gain the best educational experience.

Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges Anthropology Programs

Williams College
Wesleyan University
Swarthmore College
Pomona College
Amherst College
Wellesley College
Middlebury College
Bowdoin College
Davidson College
Colgate University

Wesleyan University
Amherst College
Williams College
Swarthmore College
Smith College
Wellesley College
Bryn Mawr College
Vassar College
Barnard College
San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University 94%
Lewis & Clark College 69%
Kenyon College 34%
Reed College 31%
Bryn Mawr College 31%
Macalester College 28%
Smith College 23%
Vassar College 19%
Pitzer College 18%
Washington and Lee University 17%

San Francisco State University 19 to 1
Lewis & Clark College 13 to 1
Bates College 10 to 1
Pitzer College 10 to 1
Barnard College 10 to 1
Macalester College 10 to 1
Colorado College 10 to 1
Bowdoin College 9 to 1
Colgate University 9 to 1
Middlebury College 9 to 1

Kenyon College $66,490
Colorado College $65,028
Vassar College $64,800
Reed College $64,760
Wesleyan University $64,322
Colgate University $64,290
Amherst College $64,100
Haverford College $63,628
Carleton College $62,634
Barnard College $62,525

Colgate University $63,904
Vassar College $63,840
Wesleyan University $63,722
Williams College $61,775
Smith College $58,480
Bryn Mawr College $50,730
Colorado College $27,600
Lewis & Clark College $18,450
Middlebury College $14,550
San Francisco State University $7,176

Smith College
Bates College
Washington and Lee University
San Francisco State University
Lewis & Clark College
Macalester College
Carleton College
Vassar College
Pitzer College
Colorado College

Lewis & Clark College
Pitzer College
Macalester College
Davidson College
Colorado College
Kenyon College
Bates College
Carleton College
Middlebury College
Washington and Lee University

Pomona College 7%
Swarthmore College 7%
Amherst College 7%
Williams College 8%
Bowdoin College 9%
Barnard College 9%
Colgate University 12%
Middlebury College 13%
Haverford College 14%
Wellesley College 14%

Williams College 6 to 1
Vassar College 7 to 1
Wellesley College 7 to 1
Washington and Lee University 7 to 1
Amherst College 7 to 1
Wesleyan University 7 to 1
Pomona College 7 to 1
Smith College 8 to 1
Swarthmore College 8 to 1
Carleton College 8 to 1

San Francisco State University $5,742
Davidson College $57,340
Smith College $58,768
Pomona College $59,238
Swarthmore College $59,328
Bryn Mawr College $59,330
Lewis & Clark College $59,684
Pitzer College $60,578
Bates College $61,066
Bowdoin College $61,528

San Francisco State University $7,176
Middlebury College $14,550
Lewis & Clark College $18,450
Colorado College $27,600
Bryn Mawr College $50,730
Smith College $58,480
Williams College $61,775
Wesleyan University $63,722
Vassar College $63,840
Colgate University $63,904

Key Takeaways

Anthropology is divided into four subdisciplines: biological or physical anthropology, forensic anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology. The study of archaeology is typically included in an anthropology degree program as well.
The field of anthropology is highly specialized. Those who plan on practicing archaeology or anthropology must earn a master’s degree to qualify for various consultation, fieldwork, or education opportunities.
Liberal arts colleges, also called “teaching colleges,” put a premium on undergraduate studies. An anthropology degree from a liberal arts college provides small class sizes and direct engagement with school professors. Plus, students get the chance to try on a wide range of subject areas on their way to earning a bachelor’s degree.

Table of Contents

Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Anthropology Degree Programs

Featured Programs

What is the study of anthropology

In its simplest definition, anthropology is the study of what makes us human. As an anthropologist, you study human behaviors, culture, biology, and societies from ancient days to the present.

With this knowledge, anthropologists can work within their societies, studying complex concerns in health, economics, laws, education, and policies.

Various subsets of anthropology focus on the different aspects of human life. These include:

Social Anthropology: The focus of this course is how human societies are developed. It seeks to gain more understanding of diversity and commonalities among different groups.
Linguistic Anthropology: The focus of this course is how language can affect social life, like group membership, social identity, and establishing cultural beliefs and ideologies.
Cultural Anthropology: The focus of this course is an intensive look at specific cultures, like behavioral patterns, customs, language, laws, rituals, ideals, arts, and more.
Biological or Physical Anthropology: The focus of this course is a look at our extinct ancestors, human evolution, extinct ancestors, and understanding the causes of present human diversity.
Visual Anthropology: The focus of this course is related to social anthropology and has two main intentions: to study the visual arts of past cultures and societies and to understand modern-day photography, new media, and film through an anthropological lens.

What is the difference between anthropology and archaeology?

These two terms are often used interchangeably. However, there are distinctions between anthropology and archaeology. In Europe, both terms are considered separate disciplines, while in North America, archaeology is considered a subset of anthropology.

Archaeologists study artifacts and identify facts about ancient civilizations, including lifestyles, cultures, and history. On the other hand, anthropologists study humans across time, from the earliest societies until the present and even the future.

Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology: Best-Paying Careers

With the wide knowledge base gained with a degree in anthropology, your career options are nearly endless. Here are some anthropology careers you might want to try.

Archivist, Museum Worker, Curator. With a median salary of $52,140, landing a job as a museum worker allows you to study, teach, and interact with historical items from different cultures across the globe.

An archivist is focused on processing, cataloging, and preserving valuable documents and records. A curator’s work is more public-facing, checking collections and leading public activities for an organization.

Survey Researcher. As a survey researcher, you will collect and analyze data to assess people’s preferences, opinions, desires, and beliefs.

This role will also entail designing surveys, testing, and solving problems with survey questions, analyzing and summarizing answers using data visualization, and evaluating the performance of surveys to improve future projects. The median salary of a survey researcher is $62,810.

Public Relations Specialist. With a median salary of $62,810, one might question how an anthropology degree holder working as a PR specialist could earn this much. However, anthropologists can deliver their a viewpoint when communicating with a target audience or connecting with different cultures.

As a PR specialist, you use your research and communication skills to help clients interact with the media and the public. Think of this job as your organization’s mouthpiece, ensuring the company you’re working for keeps a positive image.

Historian. Because anthropology students spend so much time studying the past, it’s fitting and natural to have a career as a historian. Becoming a historian, however, requires you to have at least a master’s degree, if not a doctorate, to start.

Your graduate degree focuses on a particular area of study, so you become an expert, like a specific region, topic, or period. The median salary of a historian is $63,100, and common skills required in the field include communication and communication skills.

Market Research Analyst. A career as a market research analyst commands a high salary and offers ample job opportunities. With more than 730,000 jobs in the US alone and a faster-than-average expected growth rate, this is one field where you should put your anthropology degree to work.

As a market research analyst, you conduct studies to help companies and organizations understand the products or services that people want, who the potential target audience is, and what marketing strategy should be used to get the best pricing.

The strong communication, analytical, and research skills you learned throughout your anthropology coursework are the major advantages of this position.

Frequently Asked Questions About Anthropology Bachelor’s Degrees

Earning a bachelor’s degree in anthropology can open numerous professionals doors. In addition to fields such as archaeology and museum curation, the research, critical thinking, and communication skills learned in this major can apply in a wide range of educational, scientific, and social services work settings. The best schools for anthropology will put you in a position to become an innovator and a leader in this exciting field.

Today, top influencers in anthropology are bringing new light to topics like military uses of anthropology, cultural influences on economies, human organ trafficking, and much more.

Anthropology studies human behaviors and characteristics with less focus on social influences than sociology. There are a lot of similarities, especially between cultural anthropology and sociology, but the focus is different. Anthropology focuses on the people - their behaviors, physical characteristics, and their responses to social structures, ie, their culture. Sociology focuses more on group behaviors and relations with social structures and institutions. Sociology uses qualitative and quantitative methods to study the causes and effect of social structures. Anthropologists more often utilize qualitative research methods like ethnography to study the changes that occur in people given their circumstances.

In an interview with us, Princeton Univerity Sociologist, Vivian Zelizer noted their similarities and common difference with psycholgy, [T]here are a lot of parallels between both fields in the sense that they’re both trying to understand social life, and in that sense, a contrast with psychology, which of course they’re interested in social life, but the focus is on the individual. Individual development, individual cognition, and both sociologists and anthropologists are more interested in the social relations, even though there are many splendid scholars in both of those fields that may specialise in cognitive aspects of social relationships. And I would say that in the past, the boundaries between sociology and anthropology were stronger in the sense that anthropologists would study primitive communities and other kinds of groups and less contemporary capitalist societies. But in the past years, anthropologists have done splendid ethnographies and studies of contemporary societies.

Anthropology is an excellent interdisciplinary major. The degree is typically composed of numerous distinct but related subject areas from history and linguistics to studies on world religion and race, alongside science-driven subjects such as evolutionary biology, archaeology, and forensics. As an anthropology major, you’ll get the chance to flex both your scientific muscles and sharpen your skills of critical analysis.

Once you’ve declared your major in anthropology, you will likely be required to complete a set of core courses in a number of related subject areas. While your concentration will give you a chance to choose from a wide range of highly-specialized anthropology electives, there are a several common courses that most anthropology majors will be required to take, including:

Gender, Sexuality and Society
Race and Science
Conducting Ethnographies
Identity and Difference
Anthropology of Biology
Documenting Culture
Environmental Conflict
The Anthropology of Politics in the U.S.
Social Theory and Analysis

Anthropology is often divided into four distinct subdisciplines:

Biological or physical anthropology studies the biological development of humans or human-environmental adaptation.
Forensic anthropology falls under biological and physical anthropology as an application of the anatomical science of anthropology that assists in the identification of deceased individuals.
Cultural anthropology studies patterns of behavior and development of culture among societies.
The study of how language is formulated, how communication is used, and how language influences social life is known as linguistic anthropology.
Perhaps the most familiar application of anthropology is archaeology, which is the study of the past civilizations through the examination of artifacts.

To answer this, we looked at internet search queries within the Education category on Google Trends. Biological anthropology (also sometimes called physical anthropology) is currently the most-searched field in anthropology, followed by medical anthropology, cultural anthropology, forensic anthropology, and linguistic anthropology (also known as ethnolinguistics).

Anthropology is a highly specialized field. Those who will ultimately practice anthropology or archaeology will typically have earned a master’s degree. This will qualify you for a wide range of opportunities doing fieldwork, consultation, or education as an anthropologist, archeologist, or historian. But anthropology is also a versatile degree program. In addition to preparing you to enter into an advanced degree program in anthropology, a bachelor’s degree in anthropology could lead to a wide range of opportunities in forensics, education, biology, and much more. If you do choose to pursue anthropology as a career, your major can lead to these top jobs:

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines.

Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students.

Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).

Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers.

Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available.

Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online.

Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands.

Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.

Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving.

If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.

The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors.

Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

If you think a research university may be a better fit for you, see our ranking of the best research universities for a bachelor’s in anthropology.

How do we determine the best anthropology research universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call “Influence”.

The influence of a college or university is based on the schools’s top academic influencers related to the discipline in this ranking. We track the influence of faculty and alumni affiliate with these school counting not only the publications and citations of the school’s affiliated people, but we also consider the overall web presence of the faculty and alumni. The greater the citations, authority of web links, web searches, and page views, the greater the individuals’s influence. Those combined make up the departments’s influence in the field of study. We believe tracking the academic influence of the people affiliated with a school is the best indicator of academic excellence.

If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and misused performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is more insulated from manipulation, and more reflective of real-world educational outcomes.