---
title: Is a Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree worth the debt?
cip: 1907
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **167** colleges (167 of 167 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $29,467 ($30,207 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $23,014 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.78× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $28,036–$31,607 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate | $18,508 | $1,287 | 0.07× | 15 | 15/15 |
| Associate's | $22,958 | $16,642 | 0.74× | 69 | 69/69 |
| Bachelor's | $29,467 | $23,014 | 0.78× | 167 | 167/167 |
| Master's | $42,509 | $37,500 | 0.87× | 32 | 32/32 |
| Grad cert. | $41,649 | $55,913 | 1.34× | 3 | 3/3 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| University of the District of Columbia (DC) | $50,832 | $51,085 |
| Hope International University (CA) | $40,466 | $22,073 |
| California State University-East Bay (CA) | $39,638 | $17,516 |
| Howard University (DC) | $39,518 | — |
| Goodwin University (CT) | $37,361 | $21,833 |
| Warner Pacific University (OR) | $37,301 | $29,688 |
| Warner Pacific University Professional and Graduate Studies (OR) | $37,301 | $29,688 |
| Pacific Oaks College (CA) | $37,256 | $25,125 |
| Stephen F Austin State University (TX) | $36,350 | — |
| Concordia University Ann Arbor (MI) | $35,587 | — |
| Concordia University-Wisconsin (WI) | $35,587 | — |
| Tufts University (MA) | $35,452 | $16,170 |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus (OK) | $35,429 | $21,515 |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus (ND) | $34,734 | $22,775 |
| Washington State University (WA) | $34,566 | $22,978 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/human-development-family-studies-and-related-services.jsonld` · `/education/fields/human-development-family-studies-and-related-services.json`