BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 185 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$231,508 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.
128.5 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−92%Estimated return after 10 years
$46,954Observed 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−$160,465
$8,000Annual price−$192,465
$16,000Annual price−$224,465
$18,000Current college-wide context−$232,465
$24,000Annual price−$256,465
$32,000Annual price−$288,465
$40,000Annual price−$320,465
Outcomes at a glance
$46,954Typical earnings four years after completion
$46,330Average earnings five years after completion
$25,585Typical federal student debt
14thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
87Degrees awarded in 2024–25
174College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 25 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 bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $46,954 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $25,585. 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 $44,893 to $51,857 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$44,893National median$46,95475th percentile$51,857
174 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
Cornell University
$73,066 four years after completionIthaca, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtCalifornia State University, East Bay
$18,000 among completer borrowersHayward, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classFlorida State University
246 reported awards in 2024–25Tallahassee, FL · 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.
$65,136Observed year-4 earnings$53,836
Cornell University$28,690 price · $73,066 earningsUniversity of Virginia-Main Campus$21,565 price · $71,638 earningsUniversity of Maryland-College Park$15,678 price · $65,136 earningsFlorida State University$11,297 price · $62,663 earningsBinghamton University$21,620 price · $62,506 earningsGeorge Mason University$17,915 price · $61,565 earningsUniversity of California, San Diego$12,470 price · $61,262 earningsWarner Pacific University$25,629 price · $60,180 earningsUniversity of Georgia$13,936 price · $59,664 earningsThe University of Texas at Austin$19,857 price · $59,166 earningsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison$17,354 price · $59,044 earningsWashington State University$14,971 price · $58,834 earningsVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$24,953 price · $58,340 earningsCalifornia State University, East Bay$9,320 price · $57,898 earningsUniversity of Connecticut$25,097 price · $57,888 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus$10,875 price · $57,888 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Avery Point$13,807 price · $57,888 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Stamford$16,798 price · $57,888 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Hartford Campus$16,403 price · $57,888 earningsUniversity of the District of Columbia$10,648 price · $57,648 earningsTowson University$17,413 price · $57,295 earningsConcordia University-Saint Paul$18,462 price · $55,294 earningsUniversity of New Hampshire-Main Campus$23,805 price · $55,186 earningsUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus$11,900 price · $55,181 earningsUniversity of Houston$14,276 price · $54,871 earningsCentral Washington University$18,476 price · $54,858 earningsSUNY Oneonta$19,158 price · $53,836 earningsMichigan State University$19,680 price · $53,740 earnings
$10,648Annual college-wide average net price$25,097
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.
1Cornell University$73,0662University of Virginia-Main Campus$71,6383University of Maryland-College Park$65,1364Florida State University$62,6635Binghamton University$62,5066George Mason University$61,5657University of California, San Diego$61,2628Warner Pacific University$60,1809Warner Pacific University Professional and Graduate Studies$60,18010University of Georgia$59,664Observed 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.
CA17 programs$49,829 average earningsPA15 programs$46,445 average earningsOH13 programs$44,966 average earningsTX11 programs$50,038 average earningsMI9 programs$47,054 average earningsCT7 programs$54,174 average earningsNY6 programs$56,550 average earningsOR5 programs$55,401 average earningsOK5 programs$46,052 average earningsNC5 programs$45,494 average earningsMO5 programs$42,245 average earningsIL5 programs$49,560 average earnings
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.