by our College Data Analytics TeamDiscover the key facts every linguistics and anthropology major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering linguistics and anthropology programs.
Nationwide, linguistics and anthropology is a popular field of study, with 7 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Linguistics and Anthropology Schools ranking analyzes these 2 schools to determine the best overall colleges for linguistics and anthropology students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of linguistics and anthropology programs later in this article.
Programs in Linguistics and Anthropology develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations linguistics and anthropology graduates commonly enter.
The skill set built by a linguistics and anthropology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a linguistics and anthropology major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several linguistics and anthropology degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 7 |
People currently working in careers related to linguistics and anthropology tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 41.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 24.0% |
| Master’s degree | 19.5% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 3.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.5% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 2.6% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 1.7% |
| Some college courses | 1.3% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.1% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.0% |
| First professional degree | 0.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.1% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in linguistics and anthropology careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in linguistics and anthropology opens doors to numerous career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to linguistics and anthropology.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to linguistics and anthropology.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,273,615 | 14.3% |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 629,317 | 7.3% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | 262,916 | 6.6% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | 128,884 | 5.2% |
Salaries for linguistics and anthropology graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers linguistics and anthropology grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $88,437 |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | $77,828 |
With 2 different linguistics and anthropology programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased linguistics and anthropology school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in linguistics and anthropology, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Linguistics and Anthropology | 7 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 30,141 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 28,033 |
| Data Analytics | 12,891 |
| MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES | 10,355 |
| Data Science | 7,716 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 5,740 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 5,456 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 5,391 |
| Sustainability Studies | 4,374 |
| Cognitive Science | 3,121 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
