<p>Has there ever been a published ranking of undergraduate Anthropology/Archaeology departments? I've read that Arizona, Arizona State, Missouri, UIUC, Wisconsin have respected departments but I was wondering if there is a reliable study somewhere. Barring that, does anyone have any special insight or expertise that could help me out? Thanks.</p>
<p>People generally don't rank undergraduate departments. There's really no reliable way to rank undergraduate departments; they don't have research output or grant money coming in to undergrads. When you hear about "respected departments," generally that's at the graduate level.</p>
<p>Most schools with good reputations who have an anthropology department will have a respectable program. Look at the school's course catalog and look at the courses that you're required to take and other courses that are offered in the anthro department.</p>
<p>If you want the foremost Forensic Anthropology program, the University of Tennessee was the lab of Dr. Bass, who is possibly the foremost expert on the subject. He retired this year, but he still does occasional guest lectures, and the body farm is a one of a kind facility that is owned by the University to research body decomposition. It's really an amazing, and nationally renowned, program.</p>
<p>Of course, this may not be the Anthropology you were thinking of or seeking.</p>
<p>Michigan is very strong in anthropology.</p>
<p>Anthropology often relies heavily on fieldwork for research, and not all colleges (even very good ones) are willing to fund or even provide those research opportunities to undergraduates. Archaeological field schools can run upwards of $4000, so undergraduate funding is something to look for. Additional perks to look for would be a local AIA chapter, a museum of anthropology/archaeology, and research laboratories (zooarchaeology, dendrochronology, etc.).</p>
<p>There are a ton of good departments out there. For archaeology:</p>
<p>Arizona
ASU
Cincinnati
Florida
FSU
Indiana
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota-Twin Cities
Missouri-Columbia
Ohio State
Penn State
Pittsburgh
SIUC
SUNY Albany
SUNY Stony Brook
TAMU (tops for underwater archaeology)
UC Berkeley
UCLA
UCSB
UIUC
UNC Chapel Hill
UT Austin
Washington
William & Mary
Wisconsin-Madison
Wisconsin-Milwaukee</p>
<p>It's not an exhaustive list, but it's most of the best programs.</p>
<p>pardon my ignorance but what is SIUC?</p>
<p>Southern Illinois University-Carbondale</p>
<p>Wow, that's pretty great news since I live somewhat close to there. Is SIU really a well-respected program? It's not that I doubt your knowledge, but it is a little surprising given its in-state reputation as a mediocre school.</p>
<p>Anyone else? Can someone please confirm that SIU is well regarded in this area?</p>
<p>This information is dated (published 1995, from data collected in 1993), but here's the most recent National Research Council ranking of faculty quality in anthropology (top 50):</p>
<p>1 Michigan 4.77
2 Chicago 4.77
3 UC Berkeley 4.51
4 Harvard 4.43
5 Arizona 4.11
6 Penn 3.94
7 Stanford 3.71
8 Yale 3.67
9 UCLA 3.67
10 UC San Diego 3.67
11 Florida 3.65
12 Texas 3.62
13 NYU 3.60
14 Illinois 3.59
15 UC Davis 3.51
16 Columbia 3.49
17 Wash U St. Louis 3.42
18 Wisconsin 3.41
19 Duke 3.41
20 UC Santa Barbara 3.40
21 Johns Hopkins 3.39
22 CUNY 3.39
23 Virginia 3.38
24 Rutgers 3.38
25 Pittsburgh 3.34
26 Arizona State 3.31
27 Princeton 3.30
28 U Washington 3.24
29 North Carolina 3.24
30 Indiana 3.24
31 Cornell 3.21
32 Penn State 3.18
33 Southern Methodist 3.10
34 Northwestern 3.09
35 Massachusetts 3.04
36 SUNY Binghamton 3.02
37 SUNY Buffalo 3.01
38 SUNY Stony Brook 2.97
39 SUNY Albany 2.82
40 Connecticut 2.80
41 Hawaii Manoa 2.78
42 Southern Illinois 2.76
43 Iowa 2.73
44 Brown 2.73
45 Oregon 2.66
46 Michigan State 2.58
47 Utah 2.56
48 Tulane 2.56
49 Kentucky 2.51
50 Minnesota 2.49</p>
<p>SIU ranks a respectable #42 on this list, ahead of several Big Ten schools and even one Ivy. But if you're an Illinois resident, #14 UIUC might be better.</p>
<p>Looks like SIU could be a good sure thing/safety for you.</p>
<p>Gourman Report ranking for undergraduate anthropology:</p>
<p>Michigan
Chicago
Berkeley
Penn
Arizona
Stanford
Yale
UCLA
Harvard
Northwestern
Texas Austin
New Mexico
Cornell
Illinois UC
Columbia
UC SB
U Washington
U Mass Amherst
Wisconsin
U Fla
Penn St
Pitt
Duke
Rutgers NB
Indiana Bloom
Hawaii Manoa
UC Irvine
UNC CH
UVA
SUNY Buffalo
Arizona St
Brandeis
UC Davis
Colorado Boulder
Tulane
NYU
Princeton
Washington St Louis
U Conn
Bryn Mawr
U Oregon
UC Riverside
U Minnesota
Brown
Southern Methodist
U Kansas
Missouri Columbia</p>
<p>Yeah, so SIU doesn't make Gourman's list but I wouldn't read too much into that. Check out the SIU anthro department website:</p>
<p>Department</a> of Anthropology Home Page</p>
<p>This is a large anthropology faculty with diverse research and teaching interests and a strong program in archeology, including a number of archeological and ethnographic summer field schools, most apparently open to undergrads. I think this is a pretty serious academic enterprise and certainly a place meriting serious consideration (at least as a safety) for any Illinois resident strongly interested in the field. But UIUC would be outstanding, too, and is overall a much stronger school.</p>
<p>When you guys are saying chicago are you talking about University of Illinois in Chicago?</p>
<p>^
[University</a> of Chicago](<a href=“http://www.uchicago.edu%5DUniversity”>www.uchicago.edu)</p>
<p>It’s a private university, which may have caused confusion given the thread’s emphasis on publics.</p>