by John W. Paulus

Created on: March 26, 2008   Last Updated: March 10, 2009

It can be a challenge to find the best anthropology degrees. While most undergraduate programs in anthropology stack up very well with one another, graduate programs in anthropology can vary greatly. Figuring out the best university to get your anthropology degree can be challenging, especially if you have done well at the undergraduate level.

There are, at least in the United States, four places to obtain an anthropology degree that stand out. These are the highest-ranked programs in the United States when it comes to how much in demand their graduates are.

The first place to obtain an anthropology degree that stands out is UC Berkeley (University of California at Berkeley). Of the top four programs, this is the least expensive program. It costs around $22,000 per year. UC Berkeley has a very low faculty to student ratio. They also have the fastest program of these four, with the duration average being exactly 8 years. On top of all of this, Berkeley has the second-highest employment rate for its anthropology graduates, as well.

The next program in anthropology to consider is at the University of Chicago. This program at the University of Chicago takes the longest of the top programs. Most students in this program attend for more than nine whole years. The University of Chicago is also the most costly. Students will pay just a little bit less than $35,000 per year here. Still, this program ties with the University of Michigan for the highest ratings in terms of how the degree is viewed by the community of anthropologists.

Harvard University has a top anthropology program. At the time they graduate more than 75% of graduates have employment in the anthropology field. The ratio of students to graduate faculty members is in the middle range of these universities, with a 5:1 ratio. The best thing about the Harvard program is that the faculty in this program has the highest rate of publishing out of all any anthropology graduate program in the United States.

Finally, the program at the University of Michigan is worth considering, as well. This anthropology program has the smallest faculty to student ratio. The degree, as mention, ties with the degree from the University of Chicago in how it is viewed.

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