Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Major

Family, consumer and human sciences is a major that typically falls into the Family, Consumer & Human Sciences category.

There are 764 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in family, consumer and human sciences, 701 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 312 that offer a master’s degree. There are also at least 84 schools in the nation where you can get your doctorate degree in the field.

Who Is Getting a Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Degree?

In 2017, roughly family, consumer and human sciences majors graduated with a bachelor’s degree, making it the most popular major in the country. This major is dominated by women with about 87.9% of recent graduates being female.

Racial Distribution

At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of family, consumer and human sciences majors is as follows:

• Asian: 5.7%
• Black or African American: 12.2%
• Hispanic or Latino: 14.9%
• White: 58.1%
• Non-Resident Alien: 2.3%
• Other Races: 6.7%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in family, consumer and human sciences. About 2.3% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending family, consumer and human sciences majors to the U.S. are.

What Will You Learn as a Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to family, consumer and human sciences to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Majors

Family, consumer and human sciences majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

Skills for Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Majors

Family, consumer and human sciences majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

Abilities for Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a family, consumer and human sciences student include the following:

What Can You Do With a Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with family, consumer and human sciences:

Careers Related to Family, Consumer & Human Sciences

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Marketing Managers	10.1%	$134,290
Farm and Home Management Advisors	7.7%	$49,840
Dietetic Technicians	9.3%	$27,140
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers	-16.4%	$40,560
Sales Managers	7.5%	$124,220
Fashion Designers	2.5%	$72,720
Dietitians and Nutritionists	14.6%	$60,370
Food Service Managers	9%	$54,240
Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products	-2.4%	$0
Copy Writers	7.6%	$62,170

Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Major Salary

Family, consumer and human sciences majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $36,000 to $73,000. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

The area of the country you choose to work in will also affect your career and salary prospects. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Major Jobs

Some careers associated with family, consumer and human sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for family, consumer and human sciences careers below.

Education Levels for Careers Associated With Family, Consumer & Human Sciences

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	6.3%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	23.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate	4.3%
Some College Courses	8.2%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	9%
Bachelor's Degree	27.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	3.4%
Master's Degree	9.9%
Post-Master's Certificate	1.3%
First Professional Degree	0.8%
Doctoral Degree	3.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	0%

Online Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Programs

There are 701 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in family, consumer and human sciences, with 78 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Online learners benefit from being able to watch lectures remotely and complete coursework on their schedule, but they also take longer to graduate than average and are more likely to dropout.

Is a Family, Consumer & Human Sciences Major Worth It?

The median salary for a family, consumer and human sciences grad is $59,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 52% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $401,200 after 20 years!

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
Image Credit: National Cancer Institute via License