Human Services at Simpson College

Simpson College graduates in human services appear to be doing unusually well financially, with first-year earnings of $46,184 placing them well above the national median of $36,630 for this degree. While the debt figure of $32,524 is estimated from peer institutions (the school's graduate sample was too small for the Department of Education to publish actual debt data), that number sits close to the national median for human services programs and produces a reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70. This suggests graduates could potentially manage their loan payments on a single income, though actual debt levels at Simpson could vary.

What's particularly striking is how these outcomes compare within Iowa. Simpson's graduates earn about $5,400 more in their first year than the state median for human services majors, outperforming reported outcomes at both Grand View University and Upper Iowa University. That premium might reflect Simpson's stronger academic profile or better placement networks, though with only four schools offering this major in Iowa, the comparison pool is limited.

The core question is whether the estimated debt burden—which could be higher or lower than the $32,524 figure derived from similar institutions—makes sense against those earnings. For a field that typically doesn't command high salaries, Simpson appears to be delivering stronger financial outcomes than most programs nationally. Still, parents should recognize they're making this decision with incomplete information about actual debt levels at this specific school.