Human Development, Family Studies, at Ball State University

Ball State's Human Development and Family Studies program lands squarely in the middle of the pack—and that's actually not terrible news for a field known for modest starting salaries. First-year graduates earn $32,836, slightly below Indiana's median of $34,136 for this major and ranking in the 40th percentile statewide. You're looking at roughly $2,000-3,000 less than what Purdue's main campus or Indiana State graduates earn, though significantly more than Purdue Northwest. The debt load of $27,000 is fairly typical for the field, and the 0.82 debt-to-earnings ratio means your child would owe less than their first year's salary—a manageable threshold.

The real question here is whether this field aligns with your child's career goals despite the financial realities. Human Development and Family Studies typically leads to social services, counseling support roles, or family advocacy positions—meaningful work that rarely commands high salaries early on. Ball State isn't adding excessive debt to pursue this path, which matters when graduate school is often necessary for career advancement in these fields.

If your child is committed to working with families and communities, Ball State offers a reasonable entry point without the debt burden that could make pursuing this calling financially painful. Just make sure they understand that $33,000 is likely their starting point, not a temporary dip, and plan accordingly for additional credentials if they want to increase earning potential down the road.