Degree Dividend
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Best colleges for Anthropology in California

By the Degree Dividend editorial data teamEvery figure verified against its federal source — methodologyData updated June 2026

Program-level earnings — not school prestige — rank these. Among the California programs in the federal field-of-study file, University of California-Berkeley leads: its Anthropology graduates earn a median $64,359 four years after finishing, against the field's $46,676 national median. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026.)

California Anthropology programs by graduate earnings
#CollegeGrad earnings, 4 yrsVs field median
1University of California-Berkeley$64,359+$17,683
2Sonoma State University$62,674+$15,998
3San Francisco State University$61,300+$14,624

How big is the earnings gap between California Anthropology programs?

$3,059 separates the top and bottom of this list — $64,359 at University of California-Berkeley against $61,300 at San Francisco State University, four years after finishing. Same field, same state, same federal measure: where you study moves pay by that much.

Do California Anthropology graduates earn more than the national median?

The state's strongest program pays $17,683 above the $46,676 national median for the field. Program-level medians come from federal tax records of graduates who received aid, so they track actual pay rather than advertised salaries.

Frequently asked questions

Which California college is best for Anthropology?
By graduate earnings, University of California-Berkeley — its Anthropology bachelor's graduates earn a median $64,359 four years out, the highest of the 3 California programs in the federal file.
What do Anthropology graduates earn in California?
Across the ranked California programs, median earnings four years after completion run from $61,300 to $64,359. The field's national median is $46,676.
Is a Anthropology degree worth it?
On national medians the field sits at or below the $48,360 high-school baseline — the specific school and role decide whether it pays. The programs ranked here are the state's strongest.