ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Howard County Junior College District

TX · 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 Howard County Junior College District earn a median salary of $34,040 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $36,960. The degree typically pays for itself in 56.2 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

$26,921

Typical Career

$34,040

Top Performers

$44,398

Estimated break-even: 56.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$227

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,837. Most students can comfortably afford about a $227 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 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 34.5%
Educational Services 14.5%
Public Administration 7.3%

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

$36,960

Nominal: $34,040 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% higher 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).

56.2 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 $24,304 $34,573 $81,200
5 Years After Graduation $26,921 $34,040 $44,398
10 Years After Graduation $33,372 $42,596 $59,105

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 $34,040 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $34,040 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $36,960 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Howard County Junior College District shows a gradual increase over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $34,573.00, which slightly declines to $34,040.00 five years post-graduation, before rising to $42,596.00 a decade later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $36,959.83 nationally, indicating that while initial earnings may not be robust, there is potential for growth in the long term.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 45.0% of employment, with subsequent percentages at 34.5% and 18.3% in the same industry. This concentration suggests a strong alignment with job opportunities in a growing field. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 56.2 years, indicating a long return on investment for graduates. Overall, while there are viable career paths available, prospective students should weigh the long-term financial implications against their career aspirations.

Compare with Another School

See how the Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree at Howard County Junior College District 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.