Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences at North Carolina A & T State University

North Carolina A&T's Family and Consumer Sciences program lands right in the middle of a difficult field—it ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally for earnings, though it performs closer to average among the three North Carolina schools offering this degree. At $26,888 in year-one earnings, graduates start roughly $5,000 below the national median for this major, though they do see meaningful growth to $32,313 by year four.

The debt picture isn't terrible relative to the low starting salary—$27,791 is about average for this field nationally and actually lower than the typical NC program. With a debt-to-earnings ratio just over 1:1, graduates face manageable repayment if they can secure full-time work in their field. The 20% earnings growth suggests that experience does help graduates command better pay, eventually pulling them closer to national benchmarks.

This program serves a predominantly working-class student body (51% receive Pell grants), so the question isn't whether these are strong earnings in absolute terms—they clearly aren't—but whether this particular program offers the best path forward in this field. With North Carolina Central University graduates earning $31,586 in their first year (nearly $5,000 more), families should understand they're accepting below-average outcomes even within a low-paying major. If your student is committed to this field, exploring alternative NC programs or considering whether a different major might better support their career goals would be worth the time.