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Child Development & Family Studies

Types of Degrees Child Development & Family Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Child Development & Family Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	8
Associate’s Degree	432
Bachelor’s Degree	6,472
Master’s Degree	1,404
Doctor’s Degree	128

What Child Development & Family Studies Majors Need to Know

Programs in Child Development & Family Studies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Child Development & Family Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Child Development & Family Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Child Development & Family Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Child Development & Family Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Child Development & Family Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Child Development & Family Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Database management systems	Data base management system software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Child Development & Family Studies graduates include:

• Nutrition Faculty Member
• Cooking Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Tailoring Teacher
• Home and Family Living Professor
• Clothing and Textiles Teacher
• Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Nutrition Instructor
• Child Development Instructor
• Food and Nutrition Teacher
• College Professor
• Dietetics Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Child Development & Family Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	48.0%
Master’s degree	36.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.9%
Bachelor’s degree	3.7%
Postsecondary certificate	1.9%
Some college courses	1.0%
Post-doctoral training	0.8%
First professional degree	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Child Development & Family Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 91.9% of Child Development & Family Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,762	91.9%
Men	682	8.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Child Development & Family Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,896	58.0%
Asian	348	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,783	21.1%
Black or African American	668	7.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	42	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	23	0.3%
Two or More Races	283	3.4%
Race Unknown	280	3.3%
International Students	121	1.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Child Development & Family Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Child Development & Family Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,243
4 years	$38,875
5 years	$44,531

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,531 — roughly 34% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Child Development & Family Studies Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Child Development & Family Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	5	3
Bachelor’s	24	16
Master’s	10	6
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Child Development & Family Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Child Development & Family Studies graduates earn a median of $38,875 four years after completion — roughly 2% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	19.07
Adult Development and Aging	19.0702
Child Care and Support Services Management	19.0708
Child Care Provider/Assistant	19.0709
Child Development	19.0706
Developmental Services Worker	19.0710
Early Childhood and Family Studies	19.0711
Family and Community Services	19.0707
Family Systems	19.0704
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other	19.0799
Parent Education Services	19.0712
Apparel and Textile Manufacture	19.0902

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.