Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences at The University of Alabama

The University of Alabama's Family and Consumer Sciences program outperforms most competitors, with first-year earnings of $35,059 placing it in the 79th percentile nationally—well above the typical $31,748 for this field. Among Alabama's five programs, it sits comfortably in the 60th percentile and beats both University of North Alabama and Jacksonville State University. The 18% earnings growth to $41,357 by year four suggests graduates establish solid career trajectories, even if absolute earnings remain modest compared to STEM fields.

The debt load of $25,125 is actually lower than both the national and state medians for this program, resulting in a manageable 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio. That means graduates owe roughly 8.6 months of their first-year salary—a reasonable burden for a field that typically involves social services, education, or family support roles. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates makes these numbers reliable, not statistical noise.

For families considering this program, Alabama offers one of the stronger options in a field where earnings are inherently limited but steady. If your student is genuinely interested in human services work, they'll graduate with less debt than most peers and earnings potential that's above average for the field. The key question isn't whether this is a good Family and Consumer Sciences program—it clearly is—but whether your student understands the salary realities of this career path compared to alternatives.