Top Anthropology Programs in California by Earnings (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 26 Anthropology programs in California by the median earnings of Anthropology graduates four years after completing. University of California-Berkeley leads with $64,359, followed by Sonoma State University at $62,674 and San Francisco State University at $61,300.
Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $64,359 to $25,194, with a median of $49,518.
Every program on the list belongs to a public institution. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967, and California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt reports the highest admission rate at 98%.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $64,359 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley reports $64,359 in median earnings of Anthropology graduates four years after completing and ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 2 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $62,674 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Sonoma State University left with a median of $16,705 in federal loans, and the school's Anthropology graduates earn $62,674 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $61,300 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University admits 96% of applicants and its Anthropology graduates earn $61,300 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $56,982 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $56,982 in median earnings of Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $56,836 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| With an average net price of $14,741, University of California-Davis reports $56,836 in median earnings for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $56,238 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara reports $56,238 in median earnings of Anthropology graduates four years after completing and carries an average net price of $16,109. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $54,905 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| An admission rate of 9% at University of California-Los Angeles coincides with $54,905 in median earnings for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $54,092 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at California State University-Fullerton left with a median of $13,750 in federal loans, and the school reports $54,092 in median earnings of Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $53,991 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University reports $53,991 in median earnings of Anthropology graduates four years after completing and ranks 36th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $52,315 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| With an average net price of $17,890, University of California-Santa Cruz reports $52,315 in median earnings for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $51,951 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| California State University-Channel Islands admits 95% of applicants and its Anthropology graduates earn $51,951 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $50,850 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine reports $50,850 in median earnings of Anthropology graduates four years after completing and carries an average net price of $14,251. | |||||
| 13 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $49,848 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| California State University-San Marcos reports median earnings of $49,848 for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $10,229. | |||||
| 14 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $49,187 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at California State University-Fresno left with a median of $14,505 in federal loans, and the school's Anthropology graduates earn a median of $49,187 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $48,367 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento ranks 10th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts a median of $48,367 for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $47,166 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| With an admission rate of 46%, California State University-Long Beach reports median earnings of $47,166 for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $46,321 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| California State University-Stanislaus carries an average net price of $6,067 and reports median earnings of $46,321 for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $45,821 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside reports median earnings of $45,821 for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 110 graduates in the earnings data. | |||||
| 19 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $43,192 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge ranks 7th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Anthropology graduates earn a median of $43,192 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $43,153 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at California State University-Chico left with a median of $16,552 in federal loans, while the school's Anthropology graduates earn a median of $43,153 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $41,464 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt admits 98% of applicants and reports median earnings of $41,464 for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $40,417 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| An average net price of $4,564 coincides with median earnings of $40,417 for Anthropology graduates of California State University-San Bernardino four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $37,443 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks 15th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Anthropology graduates earn a median of $37,443 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA | $33,281 | $8,615 | $7,303 | 93.3% |
| Reporting median earnings of $33,281 for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing, California State University-Dominguez Hills carries an average net price of $8,615. | |||||
| 25 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $26,353 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| University of California-Merced reports median earnings of $26,353 for its Anthropology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 17. | |||||
| 26 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $25,194 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| With an average net price of $3,967, California State University-Los Angeles admits 91% of applicants and ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Anthropology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished the program. For 3 of the 26 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first and second is $1,685, with University of California-Berkeley at $64,359 and Sonoma State University at $62,674.
Related rankings
- Best Anthropology Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in California
- Anthropology Programs in Colorado
- Anthropology Programs in Florida
- Anthropology Programs in Georgia
- Anthropology Programs in Illinois