ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Eastern Gateway Community College

OH · 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 Eastern Gateway Community College earn a median salary of $27,134 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $30,115. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 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

$21,257

Typical Career

$27,134

Top Performers

$34,955

Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.

Debt-to-Income Check

$181

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,261. Most students can comfortably afford about a $181 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.3x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 36.2%
Retail Trade 13.0%
Educational Services 6.9%

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

$30,115

Nominal: $27,134 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

>10 years (extrapolated) 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 $18,132 $23,244 $27,462
5 Years After Graduation $21,257 $27,134 $34,955
10 Years After Graduation $24,252 $29,849 $38,967

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 $27,134 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $27,134 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $30,115 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 Eastern Gateway Community College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $23,244, rising to $27,134 after five years and reaching $29,849 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $30,115.43, reflecting the impact of the cost of living in Ohio, which has a cost-of-living index of 0.901 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 63.8% of employment, with an additional 36.2% in related sectors. Retail Trade also represents a notable 13.0%. However, the estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma exceeds ten years, indicating a longer return on investment for pursuing this educational path. This suggests that while there are opportunities in growing fields, the financial benefits may take time to materialize.

Compare with Another School

See how the Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree at Eastern Gateway 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.