ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at SUNY Westchester Community College

NY · 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 SUNY Westchester Community College earn a median salary of $40,517 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $30,695. The degree typically pays for itself in 18.7 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

$30,270

Typical Career

$40,517

Top Performers

$54,373

Estimated break-even: 18.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$270

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,376. Most students can comfortably afford about a $270 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 29.4%
Educational Services 9.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.3%

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

$30,695

Nominal: $40,517 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% 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).

18.7 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 $23,193 $30,662 $39,330
5 Years After Graduation $30,270 $40,517 $54,373
10 Years After Graduation $35,620 $53,158 $79,262

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 $40,517 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $40,517 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $30,695 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services from SUNY Westchester Community College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $30,662, rising to $40,517 after five years and reaching $53,158 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $30,694.7, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for significant growth in real income over the long term.

The primary industries employing graduates are Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 40.6% of placements, followed by an additional 29.4% in the same sector, and 10.4% in Professional, Scientific & Technical Services. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 18.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree is moderate. While the earnings trajectory is promising, students should consider the time required to recoup educational costs relative to immediate job opportunities available to high school graduates.

Compare with Another School

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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.