ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 96 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$206,001 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−189%Estimated return after 10 years
$35,276Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$187,240
$8,000Annual price−$203,240
$9,000Current college-wide context−$205,240
$16,000Annual price−$219,240
$24,000Annual price−$235,240
$32,000Annual price−$251,240
$40,000Annual price−$267,240
Outcomes at a glance
$35,276Typical earnings four years after completion
$29,623Average earnings five years after completion
$16,793Typical federal student debt
11thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
93College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
How much do Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $35,276 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $16,793. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $30,269 to $39,229 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 11 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $31,837
- Federal debt
- $11,161
- Programs in the comparison
- 81
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $35,276
- Federal debt
- $16,793
- Programs in the comparison
- 96
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,954
- Federal debt
- $25,585
- Programs in the comparison
- 185
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,428
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,496
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 27
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,118
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,464
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 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$30,269National median$35,27675th percentile$39,229
93 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Merritt College
$51,037 four years after completionOakland, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtMount Wachusett Community College
$5,921 among completer borrowersGardner, MA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classAmerican Public University System
98 reported awards in 2024–25Charles Town, WV · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$44,340Observed year-4 earnings$37,497
Merritt College$14,021 price · $51,037 earningsWest Valley College$3,423 price · $49,933 earningsCampbellsville University$19,341 price · $44,340 earningsMinneapolis Community and Technical College$13,812 price · $44,317 earningsMount Wachusett Community College$7,931 price · $44,193 earningsNorth Shore Community College$9,000 price · $42,652 earningsMt San Antonio College$6,490 price · $42,321 earningsPasadena City College$3,864 price · $41,808 earningsTulsa Community College$6,288 price · $41,439 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango$18,095 price · $40,545 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton$17,910 price · $40,545 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois$17,428 price · $40,545 earningsPennsylvania State University-Main Campus$32,875 price · $40,545 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto$19,454 price · $40,545 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill$19,659 price · $40,545 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State York$19,047 price · $40,545 earningsPennsylvania State University-World Campus$19,550 price · $40,545 earningsCommunity College of Allegheny County$13,970 price · $40,493 earningsKellogg Community College$4,858 price · $40,016 earningsHarcum College$24,776 price · $39,830 earningsModesto Junior College$2,818 price · $39,536 earningsOakland Community College$5,777 price · $39,467 earningsCollege of Southern Nevada$6,615 price · $39,424 earningsNorthwood Technical College$8,989 price · $39,229 earningsCity Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College$7,886 price · $39,170 earningsSanta Ana College$3,133 price · $39,025 earningsAmerican Public University System$9,597 price · $38,583 earningsCentral New Mexico Community College$4,621 price · $38,264 earningsSouth Central College$9,082 price · $37,497 earningsHudson Valley Community College$8,501 price · $37,320 earnings
$3,133Annual college-wide average net price$19,659
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Merritt College$51,0372West Valley College$49,9333Campbellsville University$44,3404Minneapolis Community and Technical College$44,3175Mount Wachusett Community College$44,1936North Shore Community College$42,6527Mt San Antonio College$42,3218Pasadena City College$41,8089Tulsa Community College$41,43910Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango$40,545Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$75,870 median wage2,770 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$47,830–$130,790 typical wage rangeFarm and Home Management Educators$60,220 median wage8,220 jobs nationwide-3.2% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$37,650–$85,060 typical wage rangePsychologists, All Other$110,840 median wage18,820 jobs nationwide+2.3% projected growth through 2035 · 3,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$54,990–$168,520 typical wage rangeCommunity and Social Service Specialists, All Other$56,730 median wage107,730 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 11,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,310–$84,210 typical wage rangeChildcare Workers$34,980 median wage518,910 jobs nationwide-2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 150,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$24,260–$46,010 typical wage rangePreschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140 median wage478,780 jobs nationwide+4.5% projected growth through 2035 · 66,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$28,990–$61,390 typical wage rangeSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$101,110 median wage37,100 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 2,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$66,120–$160,300 typical wage rangeSocial and Human Service Assistants$45,930 median wage437,860 jobs nationwide+7.4% projected growth through 2035 · 48,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$34,200–$63,290 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwideTeaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special EducationUnreported jobs nationwideTeaching Assistants, Special EducationUnreported jobs nationwide
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
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.