Anthropology: CUNY Lehman College vs Oregon State University-Cascades Campus

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
In-State
18.2x
$29,640 tuition
11.0x
$50,376 tuition
Out-of-State
8.8x
$61,440 tuition
4.0x
$139,776 tuition
$538,761 10-yr earnings · Public
$553,279 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

CUNY Lehman College Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 18.2x 11.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.8x 4.0x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,640 $50,376
Year 1 Earnings $38,879 $32,573
10-Year Earnings $539K $553K
Median Debt $10,663 $25,000
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 3.3 months 9.2 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 55/100 42/100
Acceptance Rate 55.4% 68.4%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (47% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Anthropology graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Anthropology graduates.

CUNY Lehman College Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,640 $50,376
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $61,440 $139,776
10-Year Projected Earnings $539K $553K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 18.2x 11.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.8x 4.0x
5-Year Salary Growth +44% +71%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Anthropology (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

CUNY Lehman College Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $543K $539K $495K $558K $553K $505K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 18.3x 18.2x 16.7x 11.1x 11.0x 10.0x
DegreeWorth Score 56 55 49 43 42 36

For the full AI analysis of Anthropology career paths, see the CUNY Lehman College or Oregon State University-Cascades Campus program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Anthropology graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$20,736
CUNY Lehman College saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$6,306/yr
CUNY Lehman College grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
18.2x / 11.0x
Out-of-state: 8.8x / 4.0x

Career Paths

Anthropology graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists $100,590 9,600 +8.7% 52%
Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary $95,770 500 +2.7% 52%
Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary $84,290 1,100 +2.4% 50%
Forensic science technicians $67,440 2,900 +12.8% 39%
Anthropologists and archeologists $64,910 800 +3.7% 44%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Anthropology: CUNY Lehman College or Oregon State University-Cascades Campus?
CUNY Lehman College scores 55/100 while Oregon State University-Cascades Campus scores 42/100. CUNY Lehman College has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Anthropology?
CUNY Lehman College has an in-state earnings multiple of 18.2x vs Oregon State University-Cascades Campus's 11.0x. That means CUNY Lehman College grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $20,736 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do CUNY Lehman College and Oregon State University-Cascades Campus compare on Anthropology earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $38,879 at CUNY Lehman College vs $32,573 at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $538,761 vs $553,279 — a difference of $14,518.
How much does Anthropology cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $29,640 at CUNY Lehman College and $50,376 at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus. Median debt at graduation is $10,663 vs $25,000. Both programs lead to the same Anthropology career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.