Anthropology at University of Central Florida

UCF's anthropology program produces graduates earning roughly $27,000 annually—numbers that remain essentially flat four years into their careers. While the program sits at Florida's median for anthropology earnings and beats several peer institutions including USF, it significantly lags UNF (which pays $32,477) and barely trails UF's outcomes. More concerning is the national picture: these earnings fall below the national median of $27,806, landing at just the 43rd percentile despite UCF's respectable selectivity (40% admission rate, 1277 average SAT).

The debt load of $20,375 is manageable—lower than both national and state medians—but the complete absence of earnings growth reveals this program's central challenge. Graduates aren't climbing into better-paying roles over time, which matters enormously for a degree that starts below $27,000. The 0.76 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming on its own, but paired with stagnant wages, it means financial progress will be slow. Anthropology graduates typically need graduate education or pivot to adjacent fields for stronger earnings, and this data suggests UCF's program isn't positioning graduates for immediate career advancement.

For families paying out-of-state tuition or taking on significant additional living expenses, this investment requires serious scrutiny. In-state students with Florida Prepaid or Bright Futures scholarships face a different calculation, but even then, the earnings trajectory suggests planning for either graduate school or a career path that diverges from anthropology itself.