Anthropology at University of Northern Colorado

University of Northern Colorado's anthropology graduates start with first-year earnings of $35,432—impressive for this field, ranking in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile within Colorado, roughly matching University of Colorado Boulder's outcomes. The debt load of $25,667 is reasonable, translating to a manageable 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio. However, there's a significant catch: earnings drop 11% by year four to $31,562, suggesting these graduates may start in anthropology-adjacent roles before shifting to lower-paying positions or that this small sample includes outliers in the initial data.

The real concern here is the trajectory combined with the small sample size (under 30 graduates). While the strong initial placement could reflect UNC's regional connections or a few exceptional outcomes, the earnings decline is unusual and makes it harder to project typical career paths. For comparison, most anthropology programs see modest growth or stable earnings over this period.

If your child is genuinely passionate about anthropology and has realistic career expectations, UNC offers a surprisingly strong starting position with manageable debt. But the earnings pattern suggests this may not be a reliable launching pad for sustained career growth in the field, and you should view these numbers as a rough guide rather than a guarantee given the limited data.