Anthropology Major

<p>What are some schools with strong undergrad Anthropology programs (preferably with a biological or medical focus)? I know that most of the Ivies and other highly selective schools have decent programs, but I am having a hard time finding schools that are not quite as selective. I still of course want to find a school that has strong academic programs. Any suggestions?</p>

<p>From Reed College’s website [REED</a> COLLEGE PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]REED”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College) here is a list of schools that produce the highest proportion of graduates that go on to earn phds in various disciplines. </p>

<p>For Anthropology the list is:</p>

<p>Bryn Mawr, Beloit, Grinnell, Reed, Univ. of Chicago, Pomona, Wesleyan, Marlboro, Haverford, and Harvard.</p>

<p>My son is also interested in Anthropology and he’s applying Beloit which has a middle 50% of admits with an ACT scores between 24-30. He’s also applying to College of Wooster and Kalamazoo College, both of which are a bit more selective. Also the U. of Michigan has a well regarded Anthro department, their ACT mid range for admits in 27-31. </p>

<p>Despite being a small liberal arts school (1,325 students) Beloit has its own Anthropology Museum (Logan). </p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

<p>University of Arizona, Washington</p>

<p>Take a look at University of New Mexico, especially if you are interested in the history and cultures of the Americas.</p>

<p>A good biological anthropology program is much more difficult to find than decent cultural anth programs, which are a dime a dozen. Even schools known for anthropology are often quite weak in the field. Chicago, for example, has a single scholar working in biological anthropology, whereas NYU has 7. Many of the schools mentioned above have either no bioanthropologists (Reed, Wesleyan, Marlboro) or only one (Grinnell, Bryn Mawr). </p>

<p>Unlike cultural or linguistic anthropology, which often require little to no specialized technology, good research in biological anthropology frequently necessitates lab equipment befitting a science department - anatomy labs, computer modeling technology, primate (living) and/or osteology (dead) collections, etc. It is therefore beneficial to look for colleges with at least a halfhearted emphasis on the subfield.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, many of the best bio anth programs are quite selective (Harvard, Yale, Duke, Emory, etc.). Slightly less selective but very good programs include but are not limited to: </p>

<p>Arizona
GWU
Michigan
NYU
Penn State
Stony Brook
UCLA
Wisconsin</p>

<p>An obvious choice for medical anthropology is Case Western, which is less selective than some of the elite schools and has an excellent program. BU, Iowa, U Conn, and U Mass-Amherst are also quite good. Among more selective schools, you have Yale, Tulane, Emory, UNC, GWU, Penn, and probably a few others I’m forgetting.</p>

<p>The top forensic anthropology programs - something you may be interested in - are currently U Tennessee and Boston U.</p>

<p>Important note: The obvious caveat to the public schools I listed is that they generally offer poor financial aid to OOS students. Although the program here at UCLA is excellent, for example, I would be hesitant to recommend it to anyone other than California residents.</p>

<p>I have one interested in human evolution. You may find a broader idea of schools by searching “physical anthropology.” Also check AAPA, American Assn of Physical Anthropologists, for a look at the profession.</p>

<p>Thank you everyone who answered!</p>

<p>@warblersrule Thank you for your suggestions. I have actually been looking into NYU, GWU, and BU already and they seem like better options as far as biological research then some of the smaller LACs. UCLA seems like a really good choice for the field as well, but since I am from the east coast I have kind of ruled out that option. It has been frustrating to look at some of the highly selective schools and see that they have exactly what I am looking for.</p>