Ohio State University Anthropology: earnings, debt & careers

Anthropology graduates of Ohio State University earn a median $50,055 four years after graduating ($28,172 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $22,834. That is $3,935 above the U.S. median for Anthropology graduates ($46,120 across 186 colleges), and ranks 1st of 10 Ohio colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$50,055

U.S. median for this major: $46,120.

College Scorecard field of study; 60 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$28,172

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$22,834

About 46% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,924.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$17,339 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $30,305. College Scorecard.

Ohio State University Anthropology: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Ohio State University graduates$50,055
Ohio median (10 colleges)$44,327 (+$5,728)
U.S. median (186 colleges)$46,120 (+$3,935)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Anthropology nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Ohio State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$4,885$20,5661.4 years
$30–48k$5,751$24,2121.7 years
$48–75k$9,807$41,2872.8 years
$75–110k$20,461$86,1415.9 years
$110k+$27,359$115,1817.9 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (71% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Anthropology graduates 4 years after graduating ($50,055) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,617 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Anthropology at Ohio colleges

Every Ohio college we cover that reports Anthropology graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Ohio State University$50,055$22,834$17,33988%
2Ohio University-Eastern Campus$44,327$27,000$3,92521%
3Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus$44,327$27,000$5,75514%
4Ohio University-Southern Campusbachelor's & associate$44,327$27,000$5,99321%
5Ohio University-Lancaster Campusbachelor's & associate$44,327$27,000$5,65014%
6Ohio University$44,327$27,000$21,63765%
7Ohio University-Zanesville Campus$44,327$27,000$5,74622%
8Kent State University at Kent$40,662$26,697$20,78764%
9Cleveland State University$38,972$21,709$14,76451%
10Miami University-Oxford$33,527$26,943$28,38480%

11 more Ohio colleges offer Anthropology but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Anthropology graduates

Forensic Science Technicians

Columbus area$78,170
U.S.$72,060

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +13.3% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Ohio State University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Ohio State University

Related majors at Ohio State University

Ohio State University Anthropology questions

How much do Ohio State University Anthropology graduates earn?

Anthropology graduates of Ohio State University earn a median $50,055 four years after graduating and $28,172 one year after. The U.S. median for Anthropology graduates across 186 colleges is $46,120.

How much debt do Ohio State University Anthropology graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Anthropology graduates of Ohio State University is $22,834, about 46% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,924.

Is Ohio State University a good school for Anthropology in Ohio?

On pay, Anthropology graduates of Ohio State University earn $50,055 four years out, $5,728 above the median for the same major across 10 Ohio colleges ($44,327) and $3,935 above the U.S. median ($46,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Ohio State University rank for Anthropology in Ohio?

Of 10 Ohio colleges reporting Anthropology graduate earnings, Ohio State University ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Anthropology graduates get?

A common career is forensic science technicians, with a median wage of $78,170 in the Columbus, OH area and $72,060 nationally.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “Ohio State University Anthropology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/anthropology (College Scorecard and BLS data).