Best Anthropology Schools Near Rock Island, IL (2026)

Rock Island, Illinois has 4 accredited schools offering anthropology programs. Rock Island has a population of about 36,758. Median household income is $57,292 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning anthropology-related role is Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $84,790 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Anthropology Schools to Rock Island

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer anthropology programs near Rock Island, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rock Island 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 Rock Island. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL 69.4 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,163
Avg net price $12,937/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 99.0 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 106.3 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
71.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,117
Avg net price $19,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 112

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL 107.1 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,871
Avg net price $28,199/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

North Central College

Naperville, IL 127.8 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 131.1 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 151.8 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 153.9 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Anthropology Wages Near Rock Island

Rock Island is part of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area (BLS area code 19340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Anthropologists and Archeologists $59,560 IL statewide $66,846
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary $84,790 IL statewide $95,163
Archivists $59,340 IL statewide $66,599
Curators $63,060 IL statewide $70,774
Museum Technicians and Conservators $56,720 IL statewide $63,659
Social Science Research Assistants $64,890 IL statewide $72,828
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $71,590 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $80,348

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.


Rock Island at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 36,758 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $57,292 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Rock Island-Area Cities With Anthropology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited anthropology schools are near Rock Island, IL?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering anthropology programs near Rock Island. The closest is University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA (51.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northern Illinois University (99.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying anthropology roles near Rock Island?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying anthropology-related roles near Rock Island are: Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary ($84,790), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($71,590), Social Science Research Assistants ($64,890). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Moline instead of Rock Island?

Moline, IL is 4.8 miles from Rock Island 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 Rock Island an affordable place to study anthropology?

Rock Island’s median household income of $57,292 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rock Island while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Rock Island

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

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.