Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 19.07. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,841 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 708 | 22,884 | $28,174 | $31,135 | $11,100 56 programs |
| Associate's degree | 556 | 8,199 | $29,763 | $34,184 | $15,606 43 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 331 | 10,050 | $38,488 | $48,568 | $23,004 174 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | 0 | Data unavailable | $67,669 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 137 | 1,323 | $51,016 | $58,524 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 45 | 155 | $71,758 | $92,538 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 58 | 189 | $62,379 | $60,191 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferris State University MI · Public · 35 graduates measured | $57,527 | $59,890 | $27,000 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College IL · Public · 18 graduates measured | $51,399 | Data unavailable | $8,000 |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 33 graduates measured | $39,248 | $33,911 | $19,188 |
| Columbus State Community College OH · Public · 19 graduates measured | $36,702 | $31,370 | Data unavailable |
| Western Kentucky University KY · Public · 20 graduates measured | $35,569 | $38,962 | $19,500 |
| Chattahoochee Technical College GA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $35,337 | Data unavailable | $21,616 |
| Fresno City College CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $34,969 | $29,152 | $7,650 |
| Carl Albert State College OK · Public · 20 graduates measured | $32,699 | $21,448 | $5,500 |
| Santa Ana College CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $32,629 | $36,584 | $14,200 |
| Midlands Technical College SC · Public · 23 graduates measured | $32,305 | $34,471 | $12,664 |
| Northern Virginia Community College VA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $31,449 | $32,486 | $13,653 |
| Riverside City College CA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $31,021 | $31,235 | $9,500 |
| York Technical College SC · Public · 21 graduates measured | $30,843 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Colorado Mesa University CO · Public · 22 graduates measured | $30,735 | Data unavailable | $15,985 |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College KY · Public · 22 graduates measured | $30,373 | Data unavailable | $11,713 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massasoit Community College MA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $44,527 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Saint Paul College MN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $43,317 | $36,167 | Data unavailable |
| North Shore Community College MA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $42,643 | $42,652 | $11,175 |
| Harrisburg Area Community College PA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $40,562 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $38,145 | $40,545 | $22,281 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $38,145 | $40,545 | $22,281 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $38,145 | $40,545 | $22,281 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $38,145 | $40,545 | $22,281 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $38,145 | $40,545 | $22,281 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $38,145 | $40,545 | $22,281 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $38,145 | $40,545 | $22,281 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $38,145 | $40,545 | $22,281 |
| Baltimore City Community College MD · Public · 18 graduates measured | $38,127 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Grand Rapids Community College MI · Public · 35 graduates measured | $36,797 | $36,584 | Data unavailable |
| College of Southern Nevada NV · Public · 22 graduates measured | $36,642 | $39,424 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the District of Columbia DC · Public · 21 graduates measured | $54,880 | $57,648 | Data unavailable |
| Pacific Oaks College CA · Private, nonprofit · 67 graduates measured | $51,847 | $56,791 | $31,680 |
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 50 graduates measured | $50,055 | $73,066 | $12,000 |
| Towson University MD · Public · 21 graduates measured | $49,862 | $57,295 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-East Bay CA · Public · 206 graduates measured | $48,157 | $57,898 | $18,137 |
| Union Institute & University · Private, nonprofit · 53 graduates measured | $48,111 | $44,203 | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 33 graduates measured | $47,900 | $55,181 | $23,150 |
| Portland State University OR · Public · 67 graduates measured | $46,606 | $50,427 | $23,075 |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus VA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $46,352 | $71,638 | $19,500 |
| Curry College MA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $46,241 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| National Louis University IL · Private, nonprofit · 101 graduates measured | $45,215 | $45,388 | $21,683 |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus ND · Public · 184 graduates measured | $45,201 | $50,052 | $25,750 |
| Oregon State University OR · Public · 261 graduates measured | $45,001 | $53,109 | $24,500 |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus OR · Public · 261 graduates measured | $45,001 | $53,109 | $24,500 |
| Southern Nazarene University OK · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $44,549 | $47,976 | $37,837 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Dominguez Hills CA · Public · 52 graduates measured | $65,253 | $68,126 | Data unavailable |
| Pacific Oaks College CA · Private, nonprofit · 76 graduates measured | $58,652 | $68,287 | Data unavailable |
| Kansas State University KS · Public · 35 graduates measured | $58,557 | $60,479 | Data unavailable |
| University of Rhode Island RI · Public · 18 graduates measured | $57,209 | $64,289 | Data unavailable |
| National Louis University IL · Private, nonprofit · 43 graduates measured | $56,989 | $61,024 | Data unavailable |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $56,681 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 26 graduates measured | $56,011 | $59,496 | Data unavailable |
| Tufts University MA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $55,787 | $74,319 | Data unavailable |
| Erikson Institute IL · Private, nonprofit · 45 graduates measured | $55,314 | $57,867 | Data unavailable |
| University of Oregon OR · Public · 18 graduates measured | $54,545 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Boston University MA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $53,401 | $60,848 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 29 graduates measured | $52,443 | $61,276 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 29 graduates measured | $52,443 | $61,276 | Data unavailable |
| Clemson University SC · Public · 18 graduates measured | $51,352 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 74 graduates measured | $51,345 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland State University OR · Public · 22 graduates measured | $71,622 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Erikson Institute IL · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $66,086 | $68,678 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychologists, all other | $110,840 | +2.3% | Master's degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $101,110 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Social and human service assistants | $45,930 | +7.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Community and social service specialists, all other | $56,730 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary | $75,870 | +2.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Preschool teachers, except special education | $38,140 | +4.5% | Associate's degree |
| Farm and home management educators | $60,220 | -3.2% | Master's degree |
| Childcare workers | $34,980 | -2.0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (11)
- 19.0701 Human Development and Family Studies, General
- 19.0702 Adult Development and Aging
- 19.0704 Family Systems
- 19.0706 Child Development
- 19.0707 Family and Community Services
- 19.0708 Child Care and Support Services Management
- 19.0709 Child Care Provider/Assistant
- 19.0710 Developmental Services Worker
- 19.0711 Early Childhood and Family Studies
- 19.0712 Parent Education Services
- 19.0799 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other