Best non-ivy colleges for people going into Archaeology as a major

A lot depends on what type of archaeology interests you.
If you’re interested in classical archaeology, you want a school with a strong classics department, e.g., Michigan or Cincinnati.

If you’re interested in ancient Near Eastern archaeology, you want a school that is strong in that area, e.g., Berkeley, UCLA, Chicago.

If you’re interested in archaeology in general, consider U Arizona, Boston U, North Carolina. Georgia has a certificate program in archaeological sciences.

Rochester has an interesting program in “Archaeology, Technology, & Historical Structures,” which combines aspects of archeology and engineering. If that interests you, you also might be interested in programs in historic preservation.

If you’re interested in historical archaeology, U Mass has a combined major in history and archaeology.