Best Anthropology Schools Near Santa Maria, CA (2026)

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

Santa Maria, California has 5 accredited schools offering anthropology programs, with tuition ranging from $16,414 to $50,614 per year for indexed programs. Santa Maria has a population of about 109,880. Median household income is $84,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.1% 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 Santa Maria

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer anthropology programs near Santa Maria, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria. 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

Allan Hancock College

Santa Maria, CA 1.4 miles from Santa Maria
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,786
Avg net price $5,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Anthropology Wages Near Santa Maria

Santa Maria is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). 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 $66,397
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary $128,370 CA statewide $117,987
Archivists $70,530 CA statewide $64,825
Curators $71,380 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $65,607
Museum Technicians and Conservators $51,170 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $47,031
Social Science Research Assistants $60,250 CA statewide $55,377
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $79,710 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $73,263

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.

Santa Maria at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 109,880 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $84,617 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Maria-Area Cities With Anthropology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited anthropology schools are near Santa Maria, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering anthropology programs near Santa Maria. The closest is Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, CA (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Bakersfield (80.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying anthropology roles near Santa Maria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying anthropology-related roles near Santa Maria are: Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary ($128,370), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($79,710), 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 Arroyo Grande instead of Santa Maria?

Arroyo Grande, CA is 15.4 miles from Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria an affordable place to study anthropology?

Santa Maria’s median household income of $84,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria

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

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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