How much debt do UTRGV anthropology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $11,427, which ranks the lowest of 11 anthropology bachelor's programs in Texas. That works out to about $121 a month over 10 years.

Is a anthropology degree from UTRGV worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 54% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 81%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Texas programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Do UTRGV anthropology graduates stay in Texas?

Most do. 94% (17 of 18) were working in Texas one year after graduating.

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

Bachelor's in Anthropology
Public university
Edinburg, TX
About 8 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UTRGV anthropology graduates earn less than graduates of most anthropology programs nationally, $21,213 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $11,427 in federal loans, less than at 98% of anthropology programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Texas median of $28,369.

First-year earnings$21,21312th percentile of 166 programs nationally

Median federal debt$11,427The lowest of 11 Texas programs

Debt-to-earnings54%Texas median 75%, national 81%

How it compares

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

	UTRGV	Texas	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$21,213	$28,369	$27,790
Median federal debt at graduation	$11,427	$22,637	$22,962
Debt as share of first-year pay	54%	75%	81%
Programs compared		11	166

Debt and first-year pay at every Texas anthropology program

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

UTRGVOther Texas programs

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

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $121 a month, or 6.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

94% of graduates (17 of 18) were working in Texas one year after graduating. Prices in the McAllen area are about 14% below the national average, so a $21,213 salary here buys what about $24,696 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

$80,470

Median pay in Texas. 11,920 people work in this job in Texas. 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%: $63,870Top 10%: $144,060

Forensic Science Technicians

$59,870

Median pay in Texas. 1,900 people work in this job in Texas. 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%: $42,430Top 10%: $82,640

Anthropologists and Archeologists

$67,700

Median pay in Texas. 430 people work in this job in Texas. 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%: $57,340Top 10%: $109,270

About UTRGV

In-state tuition and fees	$9,987 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$19,827 / year
Average net price after aid	$4,831 / year
Admission rate	94%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	51%
Undergraduate students	28,666

Anthropology ranks 35th of 37 bachelor's programs at UTRGV by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($77,619), Mechanical Engineering ($60,924), and Computer Engineering ($57,841).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $21,213 one year after graduating. The median across anthropology bachelor's programs in Texas is $28,369.

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 Texas 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 Texas, ranked11 programs by pay and debt Anthropology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked166 programs by pay and debt All UTRGV programs, ranked37 programs by pay and debt