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What Does an Archaeological Grad Do?

Archaeology is an area of study that focuses on the study of humans through material remains both recent and ancient.  The study of archaeology provides a unique perspective on human development, culture, and society that helps to construct a way of thinking about previous generations.   Archaeology degree holders are specialist scientists in the field that help understand previous generations by revealing:

  • How people lived
  • Where people lived
  • When they lived
  • Climate changes
  • Cultural evolutions
  • Origins of agriculture
  • Social constructs
  • Specialized skills of an era
  • Migration patterns
  • Genetic changes

Archaeologists study past cultures through remains, artifacts and records. Students pursuing an archaeology degree will learn to combine historical knowledge with evidence produced through excavation in order to support or disprove theories.

Students majoring in archaeology will develop a wide set of transferable core skills while in school.  These skills will be utilized directly in work that applies to the archaeology industry or adjacent sectors.  Skills archaeology majors can expect to enhance while in college include critical thinking, self-confidence, curiosity about others, empathy, persuasion, love for learning, problem solving, organization skills, and a health worldview.

Career Summary

MEDIAN SALARY

$63,190

PERCENT ABOVE NATIONAL
INCOME AVERAGE

41.34%

TOTAL SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

7,700

Degree Median Salary vs Adjacent Degree Types

Source: BLS, US Census, and IPEDS

2024 Best Archaeology Degree

Yale University's Archaeology Studies is an interdepartmental program with its own undergraduate major and a dedicated MA program. Offering comprehensive training that allows students to pursue a major area of study through the completion of general education courses. The program is composed of faculty from a broad range of disciplines, including Anthropology, Classics, Geology and Geophysics, History, History of Art, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and Religious Studies. The institution also offers a variety of graduate programs, reaching the doctorate level, each of which has its own admissions guidelines and standard.

Acceptance Rate

6.08

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Harvard University's top ranked archaeology degree program prepares students to address global concerns through a contextualized study. Their small classes optimize access to the faculty. Most departments in the institution offer tutorial teaching and learning with a good teacher-to-student ratio. The program is structured but flexible to accommodate every student. Providing training in ethnography and other qualitative social science methods and theories.

Acceptance Rate

4.64

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

The archaeology degree at Brown University provides the student the right assistance for their growth and development. Promoting the investigation, understanding, and enjoyment of the field. The goal of the institution is to foster an interdisciplinary community of interest in the field of the ancient world and the discipline of archaeology more generally. Promoting quality research, fieldwork, teaching, and public outreach, with the Institution's associated faculty, students, and facilities serving as a hub for this activity.

Acceptance Rate

7.07

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

The University of Pennsylvania's online degree in archaeology provides students the excavation of material culture, from the Paleolithic into the early Historical periods. They take introductory courses in all subfields of Anthropology and complete the remainder of their coursework primarily in Archaeology. The institution offers an interdisciplinary approach to learning and providing students a unique college experience. Their student organizations cover every interest and focus, including academic, cultural, environmental, governmental, recreation, and hobby groups.

Acceptance Rate

7.66

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Stanford University's top rated archaeology program provides students with a broad and rigorous introduction to the analysis of the material culture of past societies.  Offering an interdisciplinary approach to the field which integrates artifactual evidence gained through field and laboratory research with data sets. They highly encourage research that integrates archaeology with heritage and promotes the ethics archaeological interventions. The current archaeology inquiry increasingly contributes material perspectives to contemporary topics such as climate change, agricultural sustainability, global conflict, interethnic violence, just to name a few.

Acceptance Rate

4.34

Student to Faculty Ratio

5:1

Bowdoin College offers a highly competitive archaeology degree program that can be found in the course catalog under their Department of Anthropology. They conduct field research in rural and urban locations. Employing emergent methodologies and established ones like remote-sensing and participant/observation. Investigating local meanings, global connections, power inequalities, and processes of change. The institution is a liberal arts college that offers an undergraduate education and aids students in developing important skills useful in pursuit of graduate education or employment.

Acceptance Rate

9.05

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Cornell University's major in archaeology degree provides students an interdisciplinary approach to a broad range of cultures. The institution is dedicated to transferring and applying university-based knowledge for practical benefits and economic prosperity in the United States. Students gain hands-on experience through lab-based courses in zooarchaeology, ceramics, dendrochronology, and in the material cultures of Native Americans and Euro-Americans. This program at Cornell University is one of the leading archaeology groupings in the country and offers one of the few majors in archaeology in the United States.

Acceptance Rate

10.85

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Swarthmore College offers a rigorous academic pathway for qualified archaeology students.  This program can be found in the course catalog within the Sociology & Anthropology Department. Providing quality knowledge on the study of the social structure that creates order and meaning in human societies and cultures as well as the pressures and contradictions that produce patterns of conflict and change. The institution is a liberal arts college that offers an undergraduate education and guides students in developing important skills useful in pursuit of graduate education or employment. The goal of the program is not merely to acquire knowledge about different societies, but also to critically engage with the complexities of social life.          

Acceptance Rate

8.93

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

Washington University in St Louis' Department of Art History and Archaeology offers a diverse program of study in art history, archaeology, and visual studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels. They have a strong bond with other Humanities programs and with local arts institutions. It is home to some 60 majors and minors and to over 20 graduate students working on MA and Ph.D. degrees. The Department is an active collaborator with schools across the Danforth campus as well as with the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, and the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Acceptance Rate

13.85

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

The top rated archaeology degree at Johns Hopkins University is an interdepartmental program that introduces students to extensive training. The program offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Archaeology. It allows students the study of the entirety of human experience from its beginnings to the present day, in every region of the world, and across all social strata. Students have the great opportunity to study and conduct research on materials stored in the institution's museum.

Acceptance Rate

11.17

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Tufts University offers a competitive archaeology degree that can be found within the Department of Archaeology.  In addition, Tufts offers an annual Archaeology Field School in the summer. Students participate in first-hand field excavation and laboratory research in different locations. Investigating social and political organization through the excavation of small site centers and large ceremonial centers. The research is conducted through a research permit issued to Dr. Fred Valdez, Jr. granted by the Institute of Archaeology and the Government of Belize.

Acceptance Rate

14.95

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The University of Southern California's archaeological degree in survey and excavation provides critical information to fields as diverse as Classics, Art History, and Biblical Studies. It is a way of understanding the rich record of past human societies through the study of their material cultures. The institution also welcomes international students and also offers many studies abroad programs and internships. They now also offer students an undergraduate degree in Archaeology drawing on the University's many resources and diverse faculty research locations and interests.

Acceptance Rate

11.42

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) has an interdepartmental Archaeology Graduate degree program integrates archaeological faculty throughout the university for the training of graduate students who wish to pursue interdisciplinary research. The mission of the program is to train students in the best interdisciplinary practices and techniques of archaeological investigation. Providing them with a strong background in archaeological interpretation and theory will enable them to undertake independent research, explanation, and preservation of archaeological heritage worldwide. The institution is considered among the best public campuses in the United States. 

Acceptance Rate

12.32

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

Hamilton College's archaeology program can be found within their Anthropology study. The institution emphasizes experiential learning opportunities that provide students with the theoretical and methodological toolkits to better understand human diversity. The program fulfills the requirement for Anthropology and Archaeology concentrators. The course will engage students from tracks, emphasizing the shared interest in material culture analysis and issues of labor inequality, and political economy.

Acceptance Rate

16.39

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The archaeology degree at Wesleyan University is the academic discipline most directly concerned with the understanding and explanation of past societies through the study of their material remains. The institution is a liberal arts college that offers an undergraduate education and helps students in developing essential skills useful in pursuit of graduate education or employment. Students are encouraged to participate in archaeological field projects and to engage in the hands-on study of ancient materials. The changes of societies through the study of environments through the translation of material culture allows archaeology to span both the prehistoric and the historic periods.

Acceptance Rate

16.48

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

Haverford College's Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology program trains undergraduates and graduate students in the Archaeology of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern worlds. The program is interdisciplinary and highly encourages students to take advantage of related offerings in the Department. The curriculum of the department focuses on the cultures of the Mediterranean regions and the Near East in antiquity. The courses treat aspects of society and material culture of these civilizations as well as issues of theory, method, and interpretation.

Acceptance Rate

16.32

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has curated a top tier archaeological research program for qualified students.  The program can be found embedded within the anthropology program and provides students a unique view of human history, which is found to be much longer and richer than possible from the study of written documents alone. The program provides training for students interested in this long view of human history. Undergraduate students culminate in a liberal arts degree that prepares them for graduate training in the field. Graduate students receive doctoral training that leads to jobs in universities, museums, and cultural resource management.

Acceptance Rate

22.63

Student to Faculty Ratio

13:1

New York University's Archaeology degree provides students a rich array of courses in the field. The program focuses not only on ancient civilizations but also remains from the time of the earliest hunter-gatherers and other prehistoric peoples in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. It reveals the activities of the poor and disenfranchised as well as the rich and powerful, can give them a much fuller picture of past worlds. Archaeology in the United States is often studied in Anthropology departments. Many of the undergraduates and graduates in the institution will receive a high mark after completing the program.

Acceptance Rate

16.2

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Boston University offers a rich archaeology program is an interdisciplinary hub for the study of the human past through materials remains. They offer a minor, BA, 5-year BA/MA, and MA in Archaeology. Their faculty come from many academic backgrounds and bring diversity and breadth to the classroom. Graduates have gone into a variety of academic, public sector, and private-sector careers. The program strives to instill this breadth into its students' education.         

Acceptance Rate

18.94

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

The University of Texas at Austin (UTA) offers a rigorous archaeology degree program for qualified students.  Curriculum reflects the breadth of specializations of its faculty and its strong links with other disciplines. The program enjoys strong connections with a variety of areas related to the field. Strong and active groups of Graduate Students make Austin's community of archaeologists and related scholars exceptionally large and diverse. The institution is a flagship campus within the University of Texas System.

Acceptance Rate

31.82

Student to Faculty Ratio

N.A

Oberlin College has an archaeological studies degree pathway for qualified students.  It is a program of interdepartmental offerings that cover a range of cultures in the Old and New Worlds. It also introduces students to the skills and analytical tools that facilitate archaeological research. The Curricular Committee on Archaeology is composed of faculty members representing disciplines related to the field of archaeology.  Most of the graduates of the program within five years pursue graduate study in the field or related disciplines.

Acceptance Rate

36.4

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Bryn Mawr College's Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology provides students with quality training in the field of archaeology. It is an interdisciplinary program that encourages students to take advantage of related offerings in Departments of Anthropology, Classics, Geology, History, History of Art, and the program in the Growth and Structure of Cities. Students are highly encouraged to study materials for research and to volunteer with the College Collections staff. Their curriculum exposes students to a variety of topics and subjects.

Acceptance Rate

33.07

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The University of Georgia (UGA) archaeology faculty engages the past and the present as they reconstruct the history of sites and the landscapes. The institution offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees in the field. Encouraging economic and social development as well as community involvement through its experimental stations and programs in public service and technology transfer. Their faculty also help illustrate and predict current trends in the human-environment relation.

Acceptance Rate

45.3

Student to Faculty Ratio

17:1

The archaeology degree at Dickinson College is one of the best ranked majors in the United States. The program is learned through introductory courses in archaeology and world prehistory, biological anthropology, and earth sciences. Offering specialized courses in methods, theory, and advanced topics in which students gain first-hand experience conducting research and interpretation. This program exposes students to a variety of essential topics and subjects related to the field.

Acceptance Rate

40.06

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

George Washington University has a highly competitive degree in archaeology that provides students the study of ancient peoples and civilizations.  In addition, the professors and students at GWU conduct various fieldwork in remote locales as well as in and around the D.C. area. Offering one of the few bachelor's degrees in the discipline in the United States. Students have the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill or attend national events and listen to world leaders speak. They are trained to construct effective arguments and to use material culture and data from excavations and surveys to support or refute interpretations.

Acceptance Rate

40.84

Student to Faculty Ratio

13:1

How to Become an Archaeologist

The discrete steps used by thousands of successful students across the country are laid out below.  The five-step process is compressed for clarity and may be rife with unforeseen challenges.  Expect challenges and plan for variations in your plan as you work towards earning your archaeology degree from an accredited college.

Step 1 – Research Archaeology Schools

To begin, you will need to establish what colleges and universities fit your personal goals and professional aspirations.  Write down important factors that a school must have along with important items that would be nice to have.  Characteristics such as tenured staff, expiry session type, archaeology publications, strong alumni, expiry persistent type, and graduate degrees may be more important to you than a big library or campus overlooking the ocean.  After establishing the list, utilize our proprietary matching to quickly find accredited archaeology schools.

Step 2 – Apply to an Archaeology College

Request admissions information from a number of schools and reduce your list to a handful of top universities offering archaeology.  With all important factors of a college considered, you will pick schools to apply to using the common application and/or a school's application.  Make sure you consciously include relevant work experience, memberships, and activities that support your unique attributes.  Leverage your uniqueness for years study mode to stand out from the other applicants in a hypercompetitive pool of students.

Step 3 – Attend Archaeology School

After selecting your college of choice, you make the transition and begin your journey as an archaeologist.  Program length and curriculum required by each institution will vary.  Generally you can expect a bachelor's archeology degree to culminate in a degree in four years with master's archeology degrees an additional two to three years.

Step 4 – Intern or Work

Investing time in a qualifying archaeology internship program provide real-world experience.  Internships allow students to marry practical, hands-on activities with academic knowledge.  Additionally, an internship shows employers a high degree of motivation and passion in the field of archaeology.

Step 5 – Graduate, Find a Job, Upskill

Upon graduating from an accredited college or university with your archaeology degree, you can begin your quest to make an impact in the field.  Establishing a mentality of a lifelong learner, will allow professionals to continue to upskill and remain curious as new information and technology helps the field of study evolve.

Why Major in Archaeology?

The reasons to study archaeology in college are varied from person to person and impossible to illuminate for every person. However, is list of common traits and benefits to students that study archaeology includes the following characteristics:

  • Underlying structural and theoretical understanding of diverse groups
  • Grasp of fundamental social constructs and social organizations
  • Understanding of historical and cultural human links
  • Respect of diverse cultures and experiences
  • Ability to leverage social, biological, and behavioral research methods
  • Attention to detail
  • Integral laws, political influence, and processes involved in cultures around the globe
  • Critical reasoning and analytical understanding of humans
  • Robust written and oral communication skills
  • Understanding of human diversity, commonalities, and capabilities

Students that earn a college degree in archaeology online or in class are equipped with the skills to launch a career in a variety of industries. Examples of careers for archaeology include teaching archaeology, research organizations, social science organizations, public health organizations, historical organizations, international affairs, museums, and ethnic studies.

Educational Requirements in Archaeology

Archaeology is considered a branch of anthropology and it is rare to find an archaeology program offered as a stand-alone major at the bachelor's level. Archaeology degrees at the master's and PhD level are available and allow for more career opportunities. As students' progress through an archaeology program, they will choose an area of specialization; some students may choose to focus on a specific time period or culture while others may focus on a particular type of archaeology.

Additionally, students may be required to learn a second (and sometimes third) language, this especially true if a time period or culture becomes a student's focus for his or her master's or PhD in archaeology.

What Do Archaeologists Study?

The exact classes you will take while studying for an on-site or online archaeology degree program will vary by program and school and specific area of emphasis. Specializations within archaeology include:

  • Prehistoric Archaeology
  • Maritime Archaeology
  • Art History
  • Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Archaeology
  • Biblical Archeology
  • Urban Archaeology
  • Underwater Archaeology
  • Bioarchaeology
  • Industrial Archaeology

Depending on the area of specialty, classes in an archeology program will vary from school to school. A swath of classes you may see in a course catalog for an archeology program may include: anthropology, genetics, world politics, diversity studies, history, philosophy, sociology, paleontology, cultural anthropology, evolution, linguistics, psychology, biology, human behavior, research methods, and urban studies.

Universities That Offer AUR Degrees

Dozens upon dozens of accredited colleges and universities offer archaeology degrees online and on-campus. For those interested, the quickest growing segment within higher education degrees has been online learning which is also known as distance learning programs. Benefits of earning a degree online include cost savings, flexibility, access, accreditation, curriculum, and pace. All of these benefits, add value to students, colleges, and employers in real terms thus perpetuating the proliferation of programs nationwide.

To find the best archaeology degree program for you, it is important to understand your priorities and educational objectives. To create a working list of priorities, invest the time to read our books The Complete Guide to the College Admissions Process and Crush the Odds and Reducing the Cost of College. The combination of resources, tools, and data will help you immensely along your college research journey. With your goals and priorities established, you can simply request information from a number of accredited colleges and universities from across the country with a few clicks on this resource page or our matching tool to help you determine the best archaeology schools for you and your career.

Archaeologist Job Opportunities

Those wishing to pursue a career in archaeology should find archaeology schools that provide practical programs, such as working at dig sites or similar experiences, as most jobs in archaeology require a minimum amount of field experience. Positions for archaeologists are limited though expected to grow due to the requirement of construction sites to be surveyed prior to start of construction. Individuals with an archaeology bachelor degree are qualified to work at field sites.

Archaeologists who have good communication and writing skills and at least master's degree tend to have better prospects. A master's degree in archaeology allows for supervisory positions at sites while a PhD allows for work as a faculty member in colleges, universities, research facilities, or as a curator at a museum.

Work in Archaeology

Careers options for students holding a degree in archaeology from an accredited college or university in the United States may include a number of pathways. Direct-hire opportunities include the following:

  • Museum Curator
  • Federal and State Government Agencies
  • University or College Instructor
  • Park Ranger
  • Historic Sites
  • Cultural Resource Management Organizations
  • Researcher
  • Archaeological Laboratory Technician

How Much Do Archaeologists Make?

The amount of money you will make as an archaeology will depend on work experience, degree type, job demand, job duties, geographic location, organization type, and hours worked.  As such, it is important to understand a range of possible incomes as you think about a career in archaeology.  The median annual income of an archaeologist is $63,190 which translates to $30.38 per hour.  The top 10% of archaeologist make $99,590 and the bottom ten percent make $36,910 on an annual basis.

The Top Paying States for Archaeologist

  1. District of Columbia  $92,200
  2. New York                     $90,340
  3. Pennsylvania               $78,990
  4. Alaska                           $76,100
  5. Maryland                     $74,770

Top Employers of Archaeologist

  • Research and Development Firms
  • Scientific and Technical Consulting Firms
  • Federal Government Agencies
  • Architectural and Engineering Firms
  • State Government Agencies

Those interested in a degree in archaeology may also wish to consider a degree in anthropology, geography, geology, history, or cartography.   Collect admissions information from top ranked colleges and universities below to learn more about your educational opportunities in archaeology or any related field of study today.

National Resources for Archaeologists
  • Archaeology Institute of America (AIA)
  • Society for American Archaeology (SAA)
  • The Archaeology Conservatory (TAC)
  • Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA)
  • American Rock Art Research Association (ARARA)

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