Anthropology at Ohio University-Zanesville Campus

Ohio University-Zanesville's Anthropology program shows graduates earning right at the national median but staying below Ohio's flagship programs—though the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift considerably with more data. First-year earnings of $27,806 land at the 60th percentile among Ohio anthropology programs, yet graduates from Miami University-Oxford earn 25% more and even Ohio State grads see higher starting pay.

The debt picture offers a genuine bright spot: $27,000 puts this program in the 5th percentile nationally for debt, meaning 95% of comparable programs saddle students with more borrowing. That near-parity between debt and first-year earnings (0.97 ratio) is manageable, especially as salaries climb 21% by year four. For families weighing costs, this matters—anthropology isn't a high-earning field anywhere, but graduating with relatively low debt makes the degree more sustainable.

The reality here is that anthropology majors face modest earnings regardless of where they study, so minimizing debt becomes the critical factor. If your child is committed to this field and prefers staying close to home, Zanesville's lower debt burden offers real value. Just recognize they're trading some earning potential compared to Oxford or Columbus campuses—a gap that may widen or narrow as more graduate data becomes available.