Anthropology at Mount Holyoke College

An elite liberal arts college producing poverty wages demands scrutiny, regardless of small sample size. Mount Holyoke's anthropology graduates earn $19,655 one year out—barely above minimum wage and ranking in just the 10th percentile among Massachusetts programs. For context, UMass-Boston's anthropology grads earn nearly double at $36,565, while even UMass-Amherst exceeds this program by $4,500. The debt burden of $21,178 means graduates owe more than they'll earn in their first year, a concerning starting point for any career.

The small cohort (under 30 graduates) means a few outcomes heavily sway these numbers, but even accounting for statistical noise, there's no reading of this data that suggests strong career preparation. This isn't about anthropology being inherently low-paying—other Massachusetts programs in the same field perform far better. Something specific to Mount Holyoke's program or its graduate outcomes isn't translating academic prestige into economic opportunity.

If your student is passionate about anthropology and Mount Holyoke's selective environment appeals to them, understand you're likely financing intellectual enrichment rather than career preparation. The four-year return on investment here depends entirely on earnings growth beyond that first year—data we don't have. For families needing education to lead to financial independence, this combination of low starting pay and moderate debt at a premium price point is difficult to justify.