Classical and Ancient Studies Degree
Students study the languages, literature, history, philosophy, art, and archaeology of ancient Greek, Roman, and other classical civilizations. Graduates typically pursue careers in museum curation, archaeology, academic research, education, publishing, and cultural heritage preservation. Classical studies develops exceptional skills in close reading, analytical writing, and critical thinking that are valued in law, business, and the humanities.
What Classical and Ancient Studies Graduates Do
Your degree in Classical and Ancient Studies prepares you for a life of inquiry, most often in academia or research. As a postsecondary teacher, your days are a blend of lecturing, designing syllabi, grading essays, and conducting your own original research for publication. This path is competitive and typically requires a Ph.D. Beyond the university, you might work as an archeologist, spending seasons at a dig site carefully excavating artifacts, then returning to a lab to analyze your finds. As a historian for a museum or government agency, you could be researching archives to write reports or curating public exhibits.
Advancement in these fields usually requires a master’s degree or doctorate to move from a field technician or research assistant to a project director or senior curator. While roles for archeologists are growing modestly, academic history positions face headwinds. With moderate AI exposure, your job isn't disappearing, but it will change. AI will become a powerful research assistant, automating data collection and analysis of ancient texts. Your core value will shift toward hands-on fieldwork, nuanced interpretation, and teaching—skills that remain uniquely human.
Common Career Paths
Where Classical and Ancient Studies graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 4,400 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary | 500 | +2.7% | 52% | |
| Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary | 1,100 | +2.4% | 50% | |
| History teachers, postsecondary | 1,700 | -0.2% | 51% | |
| Historians | 300 | +2.2% | 47% | |
| Anthropologists and archeologists | 800 | +3.7% | 44% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Classical and Ancient Studies
1 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE |
33 31–33 |
$32,054/yr | 11.7x |
Highest Earning Classical and Ancient Studies Programs
Schools where Classical and Ancient Studies graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | $32,054/yr | 33 |
Best ROI for Classical and Ancient Studies
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Classical and Ancient Studies.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 11.7x | $32,054/yr | 33 |
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