How much debt do University at Albany anthropology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,250, which ranks 10th lowest of 13 anthropology bachelor's programs in New York. That works out to about $246 a month over 10 years.

Is a anthropology degree from University at Albany worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 78% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 81%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several New York programs report higher pay.

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

Q: Do University at Albany anthropology graduates stay in New York?

Most do. 79% (22 of 28) were working in New York one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Anthropology
Public university
Albany, NY
About 21 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University at Albany anthropology graduates earn about what anthropology graduates earn nationally, $29,900 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,250 in federal loans, close to the national median of $22,962. Several New York programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$29,90064th percentile of 166 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$43,02944% more than year one

Median federal debt$23,25010th lowest of 13 New York programs

Debt-to-earnings78%New York median 78%, national 81%

How it compares

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

	University at Albany	New York	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$29,900	$26,449	$27,790
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$43,029	$54,092	$45,049
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,250	$21,875	$22,962
Debt as share of first-year pay	78%	78%	81%
Programs compared		14	166

Five years out, University at Albany graduates earn less than the national figure and about $11,063 less than the New York median.

Debt and first-year pay at every New York anthropology program

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

University at AlbanyOther New York 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 44% between the first and fifth year.

University at Albany grads, year 1$29,900

University at Albany grads, year 5$43,029

All New York anthropology grads, year 5$54,092

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 $246 a month, or 9.9% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

79% of graduates (22 of 28) were working in New York one year after graduating. Prices in the Albany area are about the same as the national average.

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

$87,760

Median pay in New York. 7,690 people work in this job in New York. 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%: $67,490Top 10%: $177,510

Forensic Science Technicians

$81,670

Median pay in New York. 1,140 people work in this job in New York. 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%: $63,970Top 10%: $105,920

Anthropologists and Archeologists

$67,220

Median pay in New York. 120 people work in this job in New York. 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%: $40,110Top 10%: $114,880

About University at Albany

In-state tuition and fees	$10,866 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$31,256 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,167 / year
Admission rate	69%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	61%
Undergraduate students	12,564

Anthropology ranks 27th of 31 bachelor's programs at University at Albany by first-year earnings. The top three are Applied Mathematics ($65,604), Accounting ($55,124), and Other Mathematics ($51,917).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $29,900 one year after graduating and $43,029 five years after. The median across anthropology bachelor's programs in New York is $26,449.

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 New York 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 New York, ranked14 programs by pay and debt Anthropology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked166 programs by pay and debt All University at Albany programs, ranked31 programs by pay and debt