How much debt do UNC Wilmington anthropology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $24,112, which ranks 4th lowest of 8 anthropology bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $256 a month over 10 years.

Is a anthropology degree from UNC Wilmington worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 96% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 81%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.

UNC Wilmington Anthropology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Anthropology
Public university
Wilmington, NC
About 18 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UNC Wilmington anthropology graduates earn about what anthropology graduates earn nationally, $25,198 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $24,112 in federal loans, close to the national median of $22,962. Several North Carolina programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$25,19830th percentile of 166 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$37,70150% more than year one

Median federal debt$24,1124th lowest of 8 North Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings96%North Carolina median 98%, national 81%

How it compares

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

	UNC Wilmington	North Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,198	$26,853	$27,790
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$37,701	$42,366	$45,049
Median federal debt at graduation	$24,112	$25,056	$22,962
Debt as share of first-year pay	96%	98%	81%
Programs compared		10	166

Five years out, UNC Wilmington graduates earn less than the national figure and about $4,665 less than the North Carolina median. Several North Carolina programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every North Carolina anthropology program

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

UNC WilmingtonOther North Carolina 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 50% between the first and fifth year.

UNC Wilmington grads, year 1$25,198

UNC Wilmington grads, year 5$37,701

All North Carolina 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 $256 a month, or 12.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Wilmington area are about 4% below the national average, so a $25,198 salary here buys what about $26,133 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

$102,980

Median pay in North Carolina. 5,730 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $63,800Top 10%: $171,170

Forensic Science Technicians

$59,240

Median pay in North Carolina. 520 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $45,950Top 10%: $81,760

Anthropologists and Archeologists

$73,130

Median pay in North Carolina. 200 people work in this job in North Carolina. 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%: $52,370Top 10%: $109,300

About UNC Wilmington

In-state tuition and fees	$7,277 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$24,152 / year
Average net price after aid	$20,109 / year
Admission rate	64%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	71%
Undergraduate students	14,922

Anthropology ranks 24th of 31 bachelor's programs at UNC Wilmington by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($74,463), Computer Science ($66,977), and Other Health Professions ($56,924).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,198 one year after graduating and $37,701 five years after. The median across anthropology bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $26,853.

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, ranked10 programs by pay and debt Anthropology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked166 programs by pay and debt All UNC Wilmington programs, ranked31 programs by pay and debt