Anthropology at The University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin's anthropology program starts graduates at $31,369—outearning 73% of anthropology programs nationally and landing solidly above Texas's median of $28,369. While that first-year salary might concern parents, the trajectory tells a more optimistic story: earnings jump 29% to over $40,000 by year four, suggesting graduates find their footing relatively quickly. With debt of $22,523, graduates owe about 8 months of their first year's salary, which is manageable compared to many humanities programs.

The program's position among Texas schools—60th percentile—reflects the reality that anthropology isn't a high-earning field anywhere, but UT Austin delivers above-average results given the major. The gap between UT Austin ($31,369) and SMU ($56,550) looks dramatic until you consider SMU's much smaller sample size and different student demographics. More relevant: UT Austin graduates earn about $6,000 more annually than their peers at Texas Tech or Texas State in the same field, which compounds significantly over a career.

For a parent's child genuinely passionate about anthropology, this is among the better bets in Texas. The reasonable debt load and steady earnings growth suggest graduates can support themselves while pursuing work they care about. Just understand that anthropology doesn't lead to high salaries—this program simply does better than most at delivering financial stability within that constraint.