ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Hennepin Technical College

MN · 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 Hennepin Technical College earn a median salary of $37,132 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $39,460. The degree typically pays for itself in 69.9 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

$29,458

Typical Career

$37,132

Top Performers

$45,052

Estimated break-even: 69.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$248

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,094. Most students can comfortably afford about a $248 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 Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 27.5%
Manufacturing 18.2%
Retail Trade 7.6%

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

$39,460

Nominal: $37,132 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

69.9 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 $26,648 $33,952 $41,086
5 Years After Graduation $29,458 $37,132 $45,052
10 Years After Graduation $29,214 $41,572 $48,682

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 $37,132 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $37,132 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $39,460 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services program at Hennepin Technical College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings are reported at $33,952, which rises to $37,132 after five years, and reaches $41,572 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $39,460.15, reflecting the cost of living in Minnesota, which has a COL index of 0.941 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with 27.5%, 27.2%, and 22.5% of graduates entering this sector. While the earnings trajectory shows potential growth, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 69.9 years, indicating a long-term return on investment. This suggests that while the field offers stable employment opportunities, the financial benefits may take considerable time to materialize relative to other career paths.

Compare with Another School

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

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Hennepin Technical College.

Apply to Hennepin Technical College

Explore More

Other Degrees at Hennepin Technical 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.