ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical Colg at Baton Rouge

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 19.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree from Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical Colg at Baton Rouge earn a median salary of $41,844 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $45,335. The degree typically pays for itself in 21.4 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

$29,179

Typical Career

$41,844

Top Performers

$59,105

Estimated break-even: 21.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$279

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,487. Most students can comfortably afford about a $279 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Louisiana 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 Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.3%
Educational Services 21.7%
Public Administration 12.7%

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

$45,335

Nominal: $41,844 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

21.4 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 $20,944 $28,170 $33,569
5 Years After Graduation $29,179 $41,844 $59,105
10 Years After Graduation $37,897 $50,441 $73,728

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 $41,844 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $41,844 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $45,335 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 Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College in Baton Rouge experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,170, rising to $41,844 five years later, and reaching $50,441 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $45,334.78, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth that outpaces inflation over time.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (24.3%), Educational Services (21.7%), and Public Administration (12.7%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high school-only path is approximately 21.4 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take time to realize, the degree offers pathways into stable and growing sectors. Overall, the career trajectory in this field appears to provide a reasonable return, particularly in essential services that contribute to community well-being.

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See how the Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree at Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical Colg at Baton Rouge 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.