How much debt do Ohio University anthropology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $27,000, which ranks 5th lowest of 5 anthropology bachelor's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $286 a month over 10 years.

Is a anthropology degree from Ohio University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 97% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 81%. Compare the cost with other Ohio programs before deciding.

Do Ohio University anthropology graduates stay in Ohio?

Most do. 81% (17 of 21) were working in Ohio one year after graduating.

Ohio University Anthropology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Anthropology
Public university
Athens, OH
About 25 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Ohio University anthropology graduates earn about what anthropology graduates earn nationally, $27,806 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, more than at 83% of anthropology programs in the country. Two other Ohio programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$27,80651st percentile of 166 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$35,98129% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,0005th lowest of 5 Ohio programs

Debt-to-earnings97%Ohio median 97%, national 81%

How it compares

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

	Ohio University	Ohio	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$27,806	$27,806	$27,790
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$35,981	$44,620	$45,049
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,000	$26,004	$22,962
Debt as share of first-year pay	97%	97%	81%
Programs compared		5	166

Five years out, Ohio University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $8,639 less than the Ohio median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Ohio anthropology program

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

Ohio UniversityOther Ohio 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 29% between the first and fifth year.

Ohio University grads, year 1$27,806

Ohio University grads, year 5$35,981

All Ohio anthropology grads, year 5$44,620

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 $286 a month, or 12.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

81% of graduates (17 of 21) were working in Ohio one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Ohio outside metro areas are about 12% below the national average, so a $27,806 salary here buys what about $31,486 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

$83,910

Median pay in Ohio. 4,840 people work in this job in Ohio. 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.

Bottom 10%: $60,080Top 10%: $173,450

Forensic Science Technicians

$72,060

Median pay nationwide. 470 people work in this job in Ohio. 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.

Anthropologists and Archeologists

$59,160

Median pay in Ohio. 70 people work in this job in Ohio. 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%: $40,580Top 10%: $79,750

About Ohio University

In-state tuition and fees	$14,158 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$24,838 / year
Average net price after aid	$21,637 / year
Admission rate	85%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	65%
Undergraduate students	19,633

Anthropology ranks 48th of 53 bachelor's programs at Ohio University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($75,809), Computer Science ($73,932), and Industrial Engineering ($70,199).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $27,806 one year after graduating and $35,981 five years after. The median across anthropology bachelor's programs in Ohio is $27,806.

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 Ohio 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 Ohio, ranked5 programs by pay and debt Anthropology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked166 programs by pay and debt All Ohio University programs, ranked60 programs by pay and debt