ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Blue Mountain Community College

OR · Associate's Degree · CIP 19.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree from Blue Mountain Community College earn a median salary of $28,969 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $25,345. The degree typically pays for itself in 157.1 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$24,171

Typical Career

$28,969

Top Performers

$38,141

Estimated break-even: 157.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$193

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,414. Most students can comfortably afford about a $193 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Public Administration.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 29.2%
Educational Services 9.8%
Public Administration 9.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$25,345

Nominal: $28,969 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

157.1 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $21,452 $25,504 $29,388
5 Years After Graduation $24,171 $28,969 $38,141
10 Years After Graduation $31,317 $40,342 $48,487

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $28,969 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $28,969 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430) = $25,345 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services program at Blue Mountain Community College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $25,504, rising to $28,969 after five years, and reaching $40,342 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $25,344.71, indicating that while earnings increase, the relative value may not significantly outpace inflation or cost of living adjustments.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 42.2% of employment, followed by a substantial 29.2% in the same sector, and 12.9% in Manufacturing. This concentration suggests a strong alignment with sectors that prioritize human services and support. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 157.1 years, indicating a long-term return on investment that may require careful consideration for prospective students weighing their options.

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See how the Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree at Blue Mountain Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.