Best Anthropology Schools Near Salinas, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Salinas, California has 5 accredited schools offering anthropology programs, with tuition ranging from $16,005 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Salinas has a population of about 161,993. Median household income is $89,150 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning anthropology-related role is Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $128,370 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Anthropology Schools to Salinas

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer anthropology programs near Salinas, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Salinas city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Salinas. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 31.8 miles from Salinas
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 46.9 miles from Salinas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 48.6 miles from Salinas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 54.0 miles from Salinas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 59.1 miles from Salinas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 70.9 miles from Salinas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 72.1 miles from Salinas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 74.8 miles from Salinas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California anthropology page.

Anthropology Wages Near Salinas

Salinas is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Anthropologists and Archeologists $72,240 CA statewide $66,275
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary $128,370 CA statewide $117,771
Archivists $70,530 CA statewide $64,706
Curators $78,740 CA statewide $72,239
Museum Technicians and Conservators $61,550 CA statewide $56,468
Social Science Research Assistants $60,250 CA statewide $55,275
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $70,440 Salinas, CA $64,624

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Salinas at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 161,993 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $89,150 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 109.0 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Salinas-Area Cities With Anthropology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited anthropology schools are near Salinas, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering anthropology programs near Salinas. The closest is Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, CA (15.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Evergreen Valley College (43.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying anthropology roles near Salinas?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying anthropology-related roles near Salinas are: Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary ($128,370), Curators ($78,740), Anthropologists and Archeologists ($72,240). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Marina instead of Salinas?

Marina, CA is 8.8 miles from Salinas and has its own set of local anthropology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Salinas an affordable place to study anthropology?

Salinas’s median household income of $89,150 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salinas while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Anthropology Programs

Other Programs Available in Salinas

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Salinas:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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