Anthropology at Fort Lewis College

Fort Lewis College's Anthropology program shows promising earnings growth but stumbles out of the gate with first-year earnings of just $25,891—below both national and Colorado medians for the degree. Among the state's 11 anthropology programs, this one ranks in the 40th percentile, trailing UC Boulder by over $10,000 and even falling short of CSU-Fort Collins. However, the 41% earnings jump by year four suggests graduates eventually find their footing, reaching $36,506.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $17,592, graduates owe roughly $8,000 less than the typical Colorado anthropology major. This lighter debt load makes the initial low earnings more manageable, though you're still looking at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 in year one. The caveat here is significant—this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could shift dramatically with a different cohort. One especially challenging year or one graduate who lands an outlier job could skew the entire dataset.

For parents considering this program, the key question is whether your student can weather those difficult early years. The strong earnings growth suggests this degree opens doors eventually, but the small sample size means you're betting on a pattern that might not hold. If your child is set on anthropology and wants the small-school experience Fort Lewis offers, the manageable debt makes it less risky than alternatives—just plan for lean post-graduation years.