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2026 Best Value Anthropology Schools in Rhode Island

[Anthropology](/majors/social-sciences/anthropology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for anthropology students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Anthropology Schools in Rhode Island

2026 Best Value Anthropology Schools in Rhode Island

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in anthropology, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Anthropology Schools

1

University Of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI

$16,942 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,432 Avg Student Debt

$69,743 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in anthropology, no school beat University Of Rhode Island this year. University Of Rhode Island is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kingston. Students from in state pay about $16,942 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $37,146. Typical student debt for anthropology graduates is $23,432. Soon after graduation, anthropology degree recipients from University Of Rhode Island generally make around $52,821. Set against $23,432 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Rhode Island admits about 72% of applicants.

2

Brown University
Providence, RI

$71,312 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,025 Avg Student Debt

$93,487 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Brown University earned it the #2 place for anthropology. Located in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $71,312 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for anthropology graduates is $13,025. Soon after graduation, anthropology degree recipients from Brown University generally make around $62,820. That is a strong return on a $13,025 median debt. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.

View All Anthropology Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.