How much debt do Fort Lewis College anthropology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $17,592, which ranks the lowest of 5 anthropology bachelor's programs in Colorado. That works out to about $187 a month over 10 years.

Is a anthropology degree from Fort Lewis College worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 68% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 81%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Colorado programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Fort Lewis College Anthropology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Anthropology
Public college
Durango, CO
About 19 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Fort Lewis College anthropology graduates earn about what anthropology graduates earn nationally, $25,891 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $17,592 in federal loans, less than at 82% of anthropology programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying anthropology degrees in Colorado.

First-year earnings$25,89134th percentile of 166 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$40,21355% more than year one

Median federal debt$17,592The lowest of 5 Colorado programs

Debt-to-earnings68%Colorado median 72%, national 81%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Colorado and national columns are the medians across all anthropology bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Fort Lewis College	Colorado	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,891	$27,178	$27,790
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$40,213	$42,366	$45,049
Median federal debt at graduation	$17,592	$25,517	$22,962
Debt as share of first-year pay	68%	72%	81%
Programs compared		5	166

Five years out, Fort Lewis College graduates earn less than the national figure and about $2,153 less than the Colorado median. Several Colorado programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every Colorado anthropology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Colorado medians.

Fort Lewis CollegeOther Colorado programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 55% between the first and fifth year.

Fort Lewis College grads, year 1$25,891

Fort Lewis College grads, year 5$40,213

All Colorado anthropology grads, year 5$42,366

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $187 a month, or 8.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the parts of Colorado outside metro areas are about 2% below the national average, so a $25,891 salary here buys what about $26,554 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to anthropology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$103,410

Median pay nationwide. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.

Forensic Science Technicians

$84,010

Median pay in Colorado. 510 people work in this job in Colorado. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $63,080Top 10%: $114,100

Anthropologists and Archeologists

$68,620

Median pay in Colorado. 250 people work in this job in Colorado. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 800 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $42,300Top 10%: $116,060

About Fort Lewis College

In-state tuition and fees	$9,958 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$21,526 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,296 / year
Admission rate	77%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	36%
Undergraduate students	3,079

Anthropology ranks 9th of 14 bachelor's programs at Fort Lewis College by first-year earnings. The top three are Engineering ($50,985), Accounting ($45,693), and Public Health ($37,498).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,891 one year after graduating and $40,213 five years after. The median across anthropology bachelor's programs in Colorado is $27,178.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Colorado comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the anthropology program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Anthropology bachelor's programs in Colorado, ranked5 programs by pay and debt Anthropology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked166 programs by pay and debt All Fort Lewis College programs, ranked14 programs by pay and debt