Child Development & Family Studies

Types of Degrees Child Development & Family Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many human development and family studies graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,281
Graduate Certificate	179
Doctor’s Degree	129

What Child Development & Family Studies Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to human development were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Human Development Majors

Human Development majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills for Human Development Majors

A major in human development prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Abilities for Human Development Majors

Human Development majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Child Development & Family Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with human development:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Community and Social Service Specialists	13.2%	$42,620
Farm and Home Management Advisors	7.7%	$49,840
Home Economics Professors	8.6%	$71,380
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	10.5%	$29,780
Social and Human Service Assistants	16.4%	$33,750

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Child Development & Family Studies?

This major is dominated by women with about 91% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of human development majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	42
Black or African American	175
Hispanic or Latino	160
White	772
International Students	49
Other Races/Ethnicities	83

Geographic Diversity

Human Development appeals to people across the globe. About 3.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Canada
• Japan
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Child Development & Family Studies Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in human development and family studies made a median starting salary of $42,470 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $39,811 (25th percentile) and $44,384 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to human development.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $34,410 to $52,700 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to human development. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Child Development & Family Studies

Some degrees associated with human development may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to human development have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	5.6%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	25.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	4.1%
Some College Courses	6.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	11.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	14.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	3.1%
Master’s Degree	18.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	2.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	9.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Child Development & Family Studies Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,058 schools offered some type of human development and family studies program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	458	42
Certificate (2-4 Years)	16	1
Associate’s Degree	608	77
Bachelor’s Degree	52	11
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	131	30
Post-Master’s	6	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	40	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Child Development & Family Studies Worth It?

The median salary for a human development grad is $35,830 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Majors Related to Child Development & Family Studies

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to human development.

Major	Number of Grads
Food, Nutrition & Related Services	1,214
General Family & Consumer Sciences	368
Family & Consumer Economics	251
Textile & Apparel Studies	150
Human Sciences Business Services	58
Housing	54
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences (Other)	8

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Jsonin under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.