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Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools (2026): 85 Ranked by Salary & ROI

85 schools ranked by TSW Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Human Development & Family Studies, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Human Development & Family Studies graduate earns $24,124/yr across 85 schools.

Programs Ranked

Avg Earnings

$24,124/yr

Avg TSW Score

57/100

#1 School

Ferris State University

$49,671/yr

BLS projects 2.0% employment growth for occupations in this field from 2024–2034, with approximately 298 annual job openings per related program area.

All Human Development & Family Studies Programs Ranked

Click any row for full earnings projections and career path breakdown.

#	School	TSW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI · Human Development & Family Studies	73 69–75	$49,671/yr	44.0x
2	Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO · Human Development & Family Studies	73 71–75	$34,716/yr	79.6x
3	Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin, GA · Human Development & Family Studies	76 72–77	$34,002/yr	107.8x
4	City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College Chicago, IL · Human Development & Family Studies	67 65–69	$37,381/yr	41.7x
5	Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL · Human Development & Family Studies	66 64–68	$31,295/yr	53.4x
6	Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM · Human Development & Family Studies	72 68–74	$31,256/yr	93.0x
7	Fresno City College Fresno, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	74 70–75	$30,519/yr	119.5x
8	Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI · Human Development & Family Studies	65 63–67	$30,486/yr	52.6x
9	Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK · Human Development & Family Studies	65 63–66	$32,967/yr	42.6x
10	City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College Chicago, IL · Human Development & Family Studies	64 63–66	$34,294/yr	38.1x
11	North Shore Community College Danvers, MA · Human Development & Family Studies	64 61–65	$34,978/yr	36.4x
12	Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FL · Human Development & Family Studies	70 67–72	$28,328/yr	92.3x
13	Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE · Human Development & Family Studies	62 60–64	$29,534/yr	44.4x
14	Tulsa Community College Tulsa, OK · Human Development & Family Studies	65 63–66	$33,103/yr	37.5x
15	Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY · Human Development & Family Studies	63 61–65	$26,682/yr	55.7x
16	American Public University System Charles Town, WV · Human Development & Family Studies	62 61–64	$31,857/yr	34.9x
17	Cabrillo College Aptos, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	71 67–72	$23,686/yr	185.5x
18	Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	71 67–72	$23,863/yr	201.2x
19	City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College Chicago, IL · Human Development & Family Studies	60 59–62	$30,292/yr	33.6x
20	Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN · Human Development & Family Studies	60 57–61	$32,055/yr	28.3x
21	Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC · Human Development & Family Studies	61 58–63	$24,352/yr	56.8x
22	Northwood Technical College Rice Lake, WI · Human Development & Family Studies	60 57–61	$23,210/yr	50.3x
23	Lemoore College Lemoore, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	66 63–67	$23,860/yr	85.2x
24	Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	65 62–66	$21,794/yr	84.8x
25	Morton College Cicero, IL · Human Development & Family Studies	59 57–60	$23,252/yr	46.6x
26	Davidson-Davie Community College Thomasville, NC · Human Development & Family Studies	67 64–69	$22,448/yr	112.5x
27	Carl Albert State College Poteau, OK · Human Development & Family Studies	59 56–60	$21,625/yr	50.1x
28	Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield, MO · Human Development & Family Studies	57 55–59	$27,003/yr	33.4x
29	Saint Louis Community College Bridgeton, MO · Human Development & Family Studies	58 56–59	$26,593/yr	36.7x
30	Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA · Human Development & Family Studies	58 56–59	$24,012/yr	41.1x
31	College of the Sequoias Visalia, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	60 57–61	$18,158/yr	64.1x
32	Coalinga College Coalinga, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	68 64–70	$18,810/yr	230.3x
33	Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY · Human Development & Family Studies	57 53–59	$37,685/yr	6.0x
34	Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	67 62–69	$15,819/yr	202.4x
35	Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI · Human Development & Family Studies	56 54–57	$25,539/yr	30.5x
36	Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY · Human Development & Family Studies	56 53–57	$28,815/yr	21.2x
37	Onondaga Community College Syracuse, NY · Human Development & Family Studies	56 53–57	$28,579/yr	22.7x
38	Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA · Human Development & Family Studies	57 55–58	$28,078/yr	25.5x
39	York Technical College Rock Hill, SC · Human Development & Family Studies	56 52–58	$27,011/yr	28.5x
40	Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA · Human Development & Family Studies	56 53–58	$27,768/yr	26.7x
41	East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA · Human Development & Family Studies	58 50–60	$10,032/yr	106.1x
42	Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner, MA · Human Development & Family Studies	54 52–56	$27,078/yr	22.2x
43	North Central Missouri College Trenton, MO · Human Development & Family Studies	55 53–57	$26,867/yr	26.1x
44	Jefferson Community College Watertown, NY · Human Development & Family Studies	55 52–56	$27,397/yr	22.6x
45	Carl Albert State College Poteau, OK · Human Development & Family Studies	54 52–56	$24,517/yr	30.2x
46	Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC · Human Development & Family Studies	54 51–56	$25,838/yr	26.6x
47	Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC · Human Development & Family Studies	55 53–56	$25,772/yr	26.0x
48	Southwest Virginia Community College Cedar Bluff, VA · Human Development & Family Studies	55 53–56	$19,582/yr	39.0x
49	Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA · Human Development & Family Studies	55 53–56	$21,889/yr	37.3x
50	Virginia Western Community College Roanoke, VA · Human Development & Family Studies	55 53–57	$21,057/yr	39.1x
51	H W Brewster Technical College Tampa, FL · Human Development & Family Studies	54 51–56	$23,990/yr	—
52	West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah, KY · Human Development & Family Studies	54 52–55	$18,132/yr	37.9x
53	Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA · Human Development & Family Studies	54 48–56	$21,709/yr	32.8x
54	Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC · Human Development & Family Studies	54 52–55	$25,285/yr	24.5x
55	Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville Nashville, TN · Human Development & Family Studies	54 50–55	$23,070/yr	—
56	Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA · Human Development & Family Studies	53 48–54	$22,623/yr	27.2x
57	East Central Community College Decatur, MS · Human Development & Family Studies	52 50–54	$21,950/yr	28.3x
58	Erie Community College Buffalo, NY · Human Development & Family Studies	53 50–55	$25,239/yr	22.5x
59	Harcum College Bryn Mawr, PA · Human Development & Family Studies	52 49–54	$30,963/yr	3.9x
60	Post University Waterbury, CT · Human Development & Family Studies	51 48–53	$28,745/yr	8.2x
61	Delta College University Center, MI · Human Development & Family Studies	52 48–54	$21,881/yr	27.7x
62	Patrick & Henry Community College Martinsville, VA · Human Development & Family Studies	52 50–53	$16,790/yr	33.6x
63	Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA · Human Development & Family Studies	52 48–54	$23,239/yr	23.9x
64	Hazard Community and Technical College Hazard, KY · Human Development & Family Studies	51 49–52	$15,134/yr	31.5x
65	Somerset Community College Somerset, KY · Human Development & Family Studies	51 49–52	$15,587/yr	32.5x
66	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS · Human Development & Family Studies	51 48–52	$20,069/yr	24.7x
67	Apollo Career Center Lima, OH · Human Development & Family Studies	51 47–52	$15,987/yr	—
68	Unitech Training Academy-Lafayette Lafayette, LA · Human Development & Family Studies	51 47–53	$17,301/yr	—
69	Unitech Training Academy-Alexandria Alexandria, LA · Human Development & Family Studies	51 47–53	$17,301/yr	—
70	Unitech Training Academy-New Orleans New Orleans, LA · Human Development & Family Studies	51 47–53	$17,301/yr	—
71	Unitech Training Academy-Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA · Human Development & Family Studies	51 47–53	$17,301/yr	—
72	West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah, KY · Human Development & Family Studies	50 45–52	$17,435/yr	27.8x
73	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH · Human Development & Family Studies	50 47–51	$22,522/yr	17.2x
74	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH · Human Development & Family Studies	50 47–51	$22,522/yr	17.2x
75	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH · Human Development & Family Studies	50 47–51	$22,522/yr	17.2x
76	South Texas College McAllen, TX · Human Development & Family Studies	50 46–51	$19,971/yr	21.6x
77	Northwood Technical College Rice Lake, WI · Human Development & Family Studies	49 46–50	$18,516/yr	19.5x
78	Somerset Community College Somerset, KY · Human Development & Family Studies	48 43–49	$14,888/yr	21.1x
79	Baker College Owosso, MI · Human Development & Family Studies	48 43–50	$22,557/yr	11.5x
80	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH · Human Development & Family Studies	47 43–48	$22,522/yr	7.2x
81	American Public University System Charles Town, WV · Human Development & Family Studies	46 41–48	$16,558/yr	15.3x
82	ICPR Junior College-Arecibo Arecibo, PR · Human Development & Family Studies	45 41–46	$11,372/yr	13.1x
83	ICPR Junior College-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR · Human Development & Family Studies	45 41–46	$11,372/yr	13.1x
84	ICPR Junior College Hato Rey, PR · Human Development & Family Studies	45 41–46	$11,372/yr	13.1x
85	ICPR Junior College Manati, PR · Human Development & Family Studies	45 41–46	$11,372/yr	13.1x

Programs by State

Top states by program availability. Click a state for the full in-state ranking.

State	Programs	Avg Earnings	Avg TSW Score
California	9	$20,727/yr	51
Virginia	7	$22,048/yr	47
Kentucky	7	$20,792/yr	45
South Carolina	5	$25,652/yr	48
Ohio	5	$21,215/yr	42
Michigan	5	$30,027/yr	51
Louisiana	5	$18,183/yr	44
Puerto Rico	4	$11,372/yr	37
Oklahoma	4	$28,053/yr	53
New York	4	$27,508/yr	47
Illinois	4	$31,305/yr	55
Missouri	3	$26,821/yr	49
Florida	3	$27,871/yr	53
West Virginia	2	$24,208/yr	47
Wisconsin	2	$20,863/yr	47

About This Ranking

What we ranked

Best Human Development & Family Studies Schools ranks 85 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.

Data sources

Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.

How to read the table

Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.

Caveats & limitations

Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.

Methodology

Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Human Development & Family Studies?

Based on our TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Ferris State University ranks #1 for Human Development & Family Studies with a score of 73/100 and graduate earnings of $49,671/yr.

How much do Human Development & Family Studies graduates earn?

Across 85 schools, Human Development & Family Studies graduates earn an average of $24,124/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $49,671/yr.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2025.