Human Development, Family Studies, at John Brown University

John Brown University's Human Development and Family Studies program starts graduates at just $24,935—well below both the Arkansas state median ($28,346) and the national average ($33,543). While rankings show this program at the 40th percentile statewide, that's somewhat misleading: among Arkansas's six programs in this field, JBU sits near the bottom, earning about $7,000 less than the University of Arkansas program. The 37% earnings growth to $34,163 by year four helps close the gap but doesn't eliminate the disadvantage.

The debt load of $23,625 is manageable relative to first-year earnings (0.95 ratio), and slightly below both state and national medians. Graduates aren't drowning in debt, but they're also not earning enough to make much financial progress early on. By year four, the debt-to-earnings picture improves considerably as salaries catch up.

Important caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could vary significantly from these medians. For families committed to JBU's Christian educational environment and willing to accept below-market starting salaries in exchange for other program qualities, the trajectory shows improvement. But purely from a financial standpoint, other Arkansas options deliver stronger initial returns in this field.