Human Development, Family Studies, at Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor's Human Development and Family Studies program produces graduates earning $37,401 in their first year—about $2,200 more than the Michigan median and $4,000 above the national benchmark. While this places them in the 60th percentile statewide (just ahead of established programs at Central Michigan and Western Michigan), the small sample size means these numbers could shift considerably with more data. The $26,000 debt load is actually lower than Michigan's typical $29,539 for this field, creating a reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70.

The concern here isn't the numbers themselves—they're competitive—but rather the reliability. With fewer than 30 recent graduates, you're looking at a boutique program where outcomes could vary significantly from year to year. For context, Baker College's larger program shows similar earnings with only slightly more debt. If your student is drawn to Spring Arbor's private Christian environment and smaller class sizes, these outcomes suggest the premium isn't hurting financially. The program appears to prepare graduates adequately for entry-level positions in social services, education, or family support roles.

The practical consideration: with a 37% admission rate and modest SAT averages, Spring Arbor isn't particularly selective, so getting in shouldn't be the barrier. The question is whether the private school experience justifies any cost difference over Michigan's public alternatives, given that earning potential across these programs looks fairly similar regardless of institution.