Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 50 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$226,993 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
209.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
−95%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,136Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$46,136Median reported earnings · year 4
$44,235Average reported earnings · year 5
$26,595Median federal debt
12thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
50Reporting programs
49With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
CURRENT VIEW
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,136
- Federal debt
- $26,595
- Reporting programs
- 50
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $60,766
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 10
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,180
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$41,327National median$46,13675th percentile$50,361
49 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1SUNY Oneonta$60,5502San Francisco State University$58,5303The University of Alabama$57,2054Texas Tech University$56,1175California State University, Sacramento$55,8306California State University, Northridge$55,3277Western Illinois University$54,0598Montana State University$52,7029Montclair State University$52,51110Minnesota State University-Mankato$52,041Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1192 · 1 crosswalk linksFarm and Home Management EducatorsSOC 25-9021 · 1 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUNY OneontaBachelor's Degree | Oneonta, NY | $60,550 | Not available | -39% | Negative payoff |
| 2 | San Francisco State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $58,530 | $17,212 | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | The University of AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Tuscaloosa, AL | $57,205 | $25,125 | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | Texas Tech UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lubbock, TX | $56,117 | $26,690 | -57% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | California State University, SacramentoBachelor's Degree | Sacramento, CA | $55,830 | $14,108 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | California State University, NorthridgeBachelor's Degree | Northridge, CA | $55,327 | $17,000 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Western Illinois UniversityBachelor's Degree | Macomb, IL | $54,059 | Not available | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Montana State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bozeman, MT | $52,702 | $25,000 | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Montclair State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Montclair, NJ | $52,511 | Not available | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Minnesota State University-MankatoBachelor's Degree | Mankato, MN | $52,041 | $25,125 | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Illinois State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Normal, IL | $51,806 | $20,322 | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Iowa State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ames, IA | $51,531 | $23,250 | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | California State University, Long BeachBachelor's Degree | Long Beach, CA | $50,361 | $12,906 | -76% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Sam Houston State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Huntsville, TX | $49,840 | $26,000 | -80% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Kansas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Manhattan, KS | $49,593 | Not available | -82% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Eastern Illinois UniversityBachelor's Degree | Charleston, IL | $49,209 | $26,000 | -82% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Morgan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $49,198 | $31,000 | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | CUNY Queens CollegeBachelor's Degree | Queens, NY | $49,054 | $13,375 | -79% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Southern University and A&M CollegeBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | $48,596 | $39,100 | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Southern University Law CenterBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | $48,596 | $39,100 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 21 | Ball State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Muncie, IN | $48,378 | Not available | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $47,296 | $27,250 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | University of WyomingBachelor's Degree | Laramie, WY | $47,250 | $26,000 | -90% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | University of New Mexico-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Albuquerque, NM | $46,421 | $20,000 | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | North Carolina Central UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | $46,136 | $31,976 | -95% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Alabama A&M UniversityBachelor's Degree | Normal, AL | $44,814 | $41,531 | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Stephen F Austin State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nacogdoches, TX | $44,600 | $27,500 | -102% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | North Carolina A&T State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $43,937 | $27,791 | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | University of Maryland Eastern ShoreBachelor's Degree | Princess Anne, MD | $43,492 | $28,000 | -106% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | University of North AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Florence, AL | $42,733 | $27,143 | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | University of Central ArkansasBachelor's Degree | Conway, AR | $42,493 | $31,000 | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Northwestern State University of LouisianaBachelor's Degree | Natchitoches, LA | $42,434 | $43,158 | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Jacksonville State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Jacksonville, AL | $42,212 | $28,327 | -112% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | University of MontevalloBachelor's Degree | Montevallo, AL | $42,038 | Not available | -112% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | California State University, FresnoBachelor's Degree | Fresno, CA | $41,734 | Not available | -116% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Southeast Missouri State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cape Girardeau, MO | $41,619 | $25,000 | -114% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | University of Arkansas at Pine BluffBachelor's Degree | Pine Bluff, AR | $41,327 | $27,845 | -116% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Delta State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, MS | $41,285 | $26,979 | -116% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Northeastern State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tahlequah, OK | $40,275 | Not available | -120% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Nicholls State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Thibodaux, LA | $40,241 | $31,125 | -121% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | South Carolina State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orangeburg, SC | $40,050 | $34,625 | -120% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | The University of Tennessee-MartinBachelor's Degree | Martin, TN | $39,914 | $27,000 | -123% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | Tennessee Technological UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cookeville, TN | $39,565 | $20,975 | -123% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | $38,968 | Not available | -124% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | Southeastern Louisiana UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hammond, LA | $38,514 | $25,401 | -128% | Negative payoff |
| 46 | Berea CollegeBachelor's Degree | Berea, KY | $38,352 | Not available | -133% | Negative payoff |
| 47 | Fort Valley State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fort Valley, GA | $38,345 | $44,653 | -130% | Negative payoff |
| 48 | Southern Utah UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cedar City, UT | $36,654 | $14,292 | -138% | Negative payoff |
| 49 | Pittsburg State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pittsburg, KS | $34,318 | $25,000 | -144% | Negative payoff |
| 50 | Bridgewater CollegeBachelor's Degree | Bridgewater, VA | Not available | $26,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $17,800 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.