Anthropology at University of North Carolina Wilmington

Starting salary under $25,200 matters less for anthropology majors than the trajectory afterward—and UNC-Wilmington's 44% earnings jump to $36,370 by year four suggests graduates find their footing. That lands them slightly below the NC median of $36,853 but well ahead of where they started. Among NC's 14 anthropology programs, this ranks in the 40th percentile for earnings, with graduates earning less than UNC-Chapel Hill or NC State but competing respectably with other regional options.

The real consideration here is the small graduating class—fewer than 30 students in the data. This means one or two outliers could shift these numbers significantly, making them less reliable than programs with larger cohorts. The $24,112 debt load is reasonable and typical for this field, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio that improves substantially as graduates gain experience.

For families willing to accept anthropology's inherently modest earning potential, this program won't dramatically change that reality—it performs in the middle of the pack statewide. The key question is whether your student has a clear path to translate an anthropology degree into stable work, whether that's through graduate school, specific career preparation, or strong internship connections, since the major itself offers limited immediate earning power anywhere.