ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College

IL · 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 City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College earn a median salary of $36,980 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $40,283. The degree typically pays for itself in 74.7 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

$29,996

Typical Career

$36,980

Top Performers

$44,752

Estimated break-even: 74.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$247

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,082. Most students can comfortably afford about a $247 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 Illinois 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 35.7%
Educational Services 13.3%
Public Administration 8.6%

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

$40,283

Nominal: $36,980 in Illinois (COL 91.8% of national avg) · 8.9% 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).

74.7 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 $24,398 $30,304 $37,617
5 Years After Graduation $29,996 $36,980 $44,752
10 Years After Graduation $30,437 $41,517 $50,935

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 $36,980 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IL, which has a cost-of-living index of 91.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $36,980 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $40,283 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 City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $31,559, rising to $38,897 after five years and reaching $42,505 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $42,371.46, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth that aligns with inflation and cost of living considerations.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 35.7% of employment, followed closely by another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 30.5%, and Construction at 24.2%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 53.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment (ROI) for this degree may be considered long-term. Students should weigh the potential for career advancement and personal fulfillment against the extended timeline for financial parity with those who enter the workforce directly after high school.

Compare with Another School

See how the Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree at City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College.

Apply to City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College

Explore More

Other Degrees at City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College

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.