Anthropology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Rutgers-New Brunswick's anthropology program costs more than the national average but delivers significantly stronger early outcomes—graduates earn 33% above the typical anthropology major nationwide, placing the program in the 95th percentile nationally. With debt at $26,750 (which is actually lower than most programs given the strong earnings), that 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable by liberal arts standards. However, there's a catch: within New Jersey, this program sits squarely at the median, tied with Rutgers-Newark and trailing Monmouth University's anthropology grads by nearly $10,000 annually.

The concerning pattern is what happens after graduation. Earnings actually decline slightly from year one to year four—unusual for any bachelor's program and suggesting graduates may be working jobs that don't leverage their degree or facing challenges advancing. This flatline in a state with high living costs is worth serious discussion with your student about their specific career plans. Many anthropology majors pursue graduate school, work in nonprofits, or move into adjacent fields like UX research or cultural consulting—paths that might explain both the pattern and require different planning.

For parents, the question is whether your student has a clear trajectory beyond the bachelor's. The debt is reasonable and the starting point is solid, but this isn't a program where you can count on automatic salary growth. If graduate school is likely, factor that into total education costs. If not, your student should be actively building marketable skills—whether that's data analysis, grant writing, or research methods—that translate beyond the major itself.