Human Development & Family Studies at Appalachian State University
Boone, NC · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
65
Optimistic
64
Base Case
60
Pessimistic
Earnings
$30,062/yr (-10% vs median)
AI Risk
High (33% exposed)
Job Market
Very Large (297,800 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Human Development & Family Studies graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $481K | $339K | $246K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 15.9x | 11.2x | 8.1x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 4.9x | 3.5x | 2.5x |
| Viable Career Paths | 8 of 8 | 8 of 8 | 8 of 8 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 65 | 64 | 60 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$30,164
Out-of-state: $98,148
Median Debt at Graduation
$19,641
7.8 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$44,147
47% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Human Development & Family Studies graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 297,800 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychologists, all other | $117,580 | 3,900 | +4.3% | 44% |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $100,340 | 3,200 | -1.7% | 52% |
| Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary | $77,280 | 200 | +3.4% | 54% |
| Farm and home management educators | $58,120 | 1,100 | -2.5% | 37% |
| Community and social service specialists, all other | $54,940 | 13,100 | +4.6% | 0% |
| Social and human service assistants | $45,120 | 50,600 | +6.4% | 39% |
| Preschool teachers, except special education | $37,120 | 65,500 | +4.1% | 23% |
| Childcare workers | $32,050 | 160,200 | -2.9% | 14% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Human Development & Family Studies at Appalachian State University?
This program scores 64/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 65 (optimistic) to 60 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Human Development & Family Studies career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Human Development & Family Studies graduates retain 8 of 8 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $245,816 (pessimistic) to $481,024 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Human Development & Family Studies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Human Development & Family Studies have roughly 297,800 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Human Development & Family Studies at Appalachian State University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 11.2x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 8.1x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.