University of California-Santa Cruz Anthropology: earnings, debt & careers

Anthropology graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn a median $52,315 four years after graduating ($23,152 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $17,875. That is $6,195 above the U.S. median for Anthropology graduates ($46,120 across 186 colleges), and ranks 10th of 23 California colleges.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$52,315

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

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$23,152

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$17,875

About 34% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,924.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$17,890 /yr

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

Sticker price $41,179. College Scorecard.

Anthropology at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Anthropology graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of California-Berkeley$64,359$12,949$13,48193%
2Sonoma State University$62,674$19,249$12,88558%
3San Francisco State University$61,300$17,250$12,27850%
4University of California-San Diego$56,982$13,958$12,47086%
5University of California-Davis$56,836$15,000$14,74186%
6University of California-Santa Barbara$56,238$19,500$16,10983%
7University of California-Los Angeles$54,905$15,000$12,54893%
8California State University-Fullerton$54,092$14,404$6,55570%
9San Diego State University$53,991$13,099$15,36476%
10University of California-Santa Cruz$52,315$17,875$17,89075%
11California State University-Channel Islands$51,951$20,914$9,84951%
12University of California-Irvine$50,850$16,667$14,25187%
13California State University-San Marcos$49,848$17,000$10,22955%
14California State University-Fresno$49,187$14,231$7,00057%
15California State University-Sacramento$48,367$20,675$9,33856%
16California State University-Long Beach$47,166$12,500$10,44069%
17California State University-Stanislaus$46,321—$6,06753%
18University of California-Riverside$45,821$21,250$14,30476%
19California State University-Northridge$43,192$17,750$7,02157%
20California State University-Chico$43,153$19,833$14,48063%
21California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt$41,464$18,150$13,17149%
22California State University-San Bernardino$40,417$12,646$4,56455%
23California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$37,443$11,000$11,53168%

22 more California colleges offer Anthropology but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Anthropology graduates

Forensic Science Technicians

California$102,100
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 University of California-Santa Cruz, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of California-Santa Cruz

Related majors at University of California-Santa Cruz

University of California-Santa Cruz Anthropology questions

How much do University of California-Santa Cruz Anthropology graduates earn?

Anthropology graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn a median $52,315 four years after graduating and $23,152 one year after. The U.S. median for Anthropology graduates across 186 colleges is $46,120.

How much debt do University of California-Santa Cruz Anthropology graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Anthropology graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz is $17,875, about 34% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,924.

Where does University of California-Santa Cruz rank for Anthropology in California?

Of 23 California colleges reporting Anthropology graduate earnings, University of California-Santa Cruz ranks 10th. The highest is University of California-Berkeley at $64,359.

What jobs do Anthropology graduates get?

A common career is forensic science technicians, with a median wage of $102,100 in California and $72,060 nationally.

Is University of California-Santa Cruz the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing University of California-Santa Cruz with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of California-Santa Cruz Anthropology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-santa-cruz/majors/anthropology (College Scorecard and BLS data).