Human Services at Lenoir-Rhyne University

At $32,732 in first-year earnings, Lenoir-Rhyne's Human Services program lands squarely in the middle of North Carolina offerings—exactly at the state's median debt level and just below median earnings. That's actually more reassuring than it sounds: nationally, this program sits in just the 13th percentile for earnings, but human services is a notoriously low-paying field where even top programs struggle to break $40,000. The debt load of $27,000 translates to a manageable 0.82 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe less than a year's salary.

The real consideration here is whether your child is committed to human services specifically. This isn't a field where any program will deliver strong early earnings—even North Carolina's highest earner (Lees-McRae) only reaches $34,811. The work typically involves social services, community outreach, or nonprofit roles that prioritize mission over compensation. Lenoir-Rhyne's relatively low debt compared to the national average ($27,000 vs. $31,573) makes it a reasonable choice if this is the calling.

One important caveat: these figures come from a small sample of recent graduates, so individual outcomes could vary considerably. If your child sees human services as a stepping stone to graduate school in social work or counseling, where earnings improve significantly, this could work. But if the goal is financial security immediately after graduation, this field—regardless of school—presents challenges.