Anthropology at James Madison University

James Madison University's Anthropology program shows surprisingly strong momentum, though the small graduating class means these numbers could shift year to year. Starting at $30,686 puts graduates above the national median and competitive with UVA's program, while debt of $20,500 is actually lower than Virginia's typical $19,067—this should temper concerns about borrowing. More importantly, earnings jump 56% by year four to nearly $48,000, a trajectory that few anthropology programs can match.

Among Virginia's ten anthropology programs, JMU ranks solidly in the middle for first-year outcomes but appears to deliver better growth than most peers. The gap between JMU's fourth-year earnings and programs like VCU or Mary Washington suggests stronger career preparation or alumni networks. That said, the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates in this cohort—means one or two outliers could be distorting the picture either way.

The practical reality: your child won't get wealthy with an anthropology degree anywhere, but JMU's combination of moderate debt and accelerating earnings makes it a relatively safe bet within this field. The program performs better than two-thirds of anthropology programs nationally, and the debt load won't be crushing even in that challenging first year. Just understand you're betting on limited data, so treating these numbers as a rough guide rather than a guarantee makes sense.