Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences at Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State's Family and Consumer Sciences program reports first-year earnings of $37,540—significantly above the national median of $31,748 and landing in the 95th percentile nationally. That sounds impressive until you consider the sample size warning: with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could shift dramatically year to year. For context, this program sits at the 60th percentile within Texas, where the median is already higher than most states at $35,501.

The debt picture is straightforward: $26,000 is typical for this field, resulting in a manageable 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio. A graduate earning $37,540 would dedicate roughly 18% of gross income to standard loan payments—not burdensome, but not exactly lucrative either. The real question is trajectory. Many human sciences graduates move into education, social services, or extension work where salaries grow slowly but steadily, making that initial debt load easier to manage over time.

For families considering this program, the small sample size matters more than the percentile rankings. These could be outlier results from a handful of particularly successful graduates. If your child is genuinely passionate about extension education, community nutrition, or family services—and understands the modest earning potential—the debt level won't sink them. But don't choose this path expecting the 95th percentile earnings to hold steady as more data comes in.