Anthropology at Indiana University-Bloomington

The most striking feature here is the 42% earnings jump between years one and four—from $26,476 to $37,623—suggesting IU Bloomington anthropology graduates find better footing after an initial rough patch. The first-year earnings sit below the national median but match Indiana's state average exactly, while the program ranks in the 60th percentile among Indiana anthropology programs. That's meaningful context: within Indiana, this program performs above average despite initially lagging behind Purdue's nearby offering.

The debt picture is actually the bright spot. At $16,562, graduates owe significantly less than both the national median ($23,000) and Indiana's state median ($18,736). The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63 means you're looking at roughly eight months of first-year salary to repay the debt—manageable by most standards. This lighter debt load matters more than it might seem at first glance, especially when paired with that strong earnings growth trajectory.

The major caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could shift considerably year to year. But if the pattern holds, you're looking at a program that combines IU's academic reputation with lower-than-average debt and meaningful earning potential by year four. For families concerned about anthropology's practicality, the combination of modest debt and improving earnings offers more security than you'd find at most Indiana schools offering this degree.