ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Mt. Hood Community College

OR · 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 Mt. Hood Community College earn a median salary of $35,528 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $31,083. The degree typically pays for itself in 73.1 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

$27,910

Typical Career

$35,528

Top Performers

$45,075

Estimated break-even: 73.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$237

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,961. Most students can comfortably afford about a $237 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 34.7%
Educational Services 8.5%
Retail Trade 8.5%

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

$31,083

Nominal: $35,528 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% 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).

73.1 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 $20,918 $29,985 $34,558
5 Years After Graduation $27,910 $35,528 $45,075
10 Years After Graduation $29,599 $41,695 $49,551

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 $35,528 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $35,528 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430) = $31,083 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 Mt. Hood Community College experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $29,985, rising to $35,528 five years later, and reaching $41,695 after a decade. However, considering the cost of living in Oregon, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary for five years post-graduation is approximately $31,083.11, indicating that while earnings increase, the relative purchasing power may not keep pace with inflation.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 38.5% of placements, followed closely by Manufacturing at 30.7%. The estimated break-even point for this educational path compared to a high-school-only route is approximately 73.1 years, suggesting a long-term investment in education may not yield significant financial returns in the short to medium term. Overall, while the program offers valuable skills for entry into essential sectors, 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 Mt. Hood 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.