Grad school ยท Public administration and social work
Human services graduate programs: earnings and debt by school
45 colleges award master's degrees in human services. Graduates of the typical program earned $53,423 a year after finishing, and those who borrowed left with a median of $40,720 in federal loans taken at the school.
Official field: Human Services, General. Admission figures such as LSAT, MCAT or GRE scores are not part of this federal data, so check each school.
| Degree level | Programs | Typical earnings 1 yr after | Typical median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | 45 | $53,423 | $40,720 |
| Doctoral | 4 | $77,697 | $119,878 |
Is it worth it? Debt vs first-year pay
Each dot is one master's program. Dots above the dashed line have graduates earning more in their first year than the program's median debt.
Master's programs in human services
Highest first-year earnings
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South DakotaVermillion, SD | 11 | $80,825 | $86,703 | n/a |
| Post UniversityWaterbury, CT | 52 | $63,291 | $69,262 | $68,436 |
| University of Illinois SpringfieldSpringfield, IL | 7 | $53,423 | $66,186 | n/a |
| Lincoln UniversityLincoln University, PA | 15 | $58,302 | $63,698 | $27,333 |
| East Central UniversityAda, OK | 11 | n/a | $61,077 | n/a |
| East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City, TN | 12 | $47,130 | $60,052 | n/a |
| University of South FloridaTampa, FL | 10 | n/a | $59,322 | n/a |
| Webster UniversitySaint Louis, MO | 12 | $51,477 | $59,247 | $45,486 |
| Chestnut Hill CollegePhiladelphia, PA | 9 | $61,535 | $59,051 | n/a |
| University of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD | 8 | n/a | $57,277 | n/a |
| Concordia University-ChicagoRiver Forest, IL | 2 | n/a | $56,757 | n/a |
| Walden UniversityMinneapolis, MN | 134 | $51,725 | $56,751 | $41,000 |
| Warner Pacific University Professional and Graduate StudiesPortland, OR | 7 | n/a | $56,485 | n/a |
| Lenoir-Rhyne UniversityHickory, NC | 3 | $45,538 | $56,364 | n/a |
| Capella UniversityMinneapolis, MN | 37 | $69,850 | $55,797 | $40,439 |
| Wilmington UniversityNew Castle, DE | 37 | $56,589 | $55,617 | $29,678 |
| Mercer UniversityMacon, GA | 11 | n/a | $53,659 | n/a |
| Southeastern UniversityLakeland, FL | 6 | $48,205 | $51,706 | n/a |
| Saint Leo UniversitySaint Leo, FL | 31 | $46,765 | $44,950 | $61,500 |
| Touro University WorldwideLos Alamitos, CA | 13 | $62,942 | n/a | $33,456 |
| Concordia University-Saint PaulSaint Paul, MN | 20 | $54,965 | n/a | $36,282 |
| Albertus Magnus CollegeNew Haven, CT | 16 | $51,062 | n/a | n/a |
| The University of Arizona Global CampusChandler, AZ | 83 | $50,900 | n/a | $41,000 |
| Bellevue UniversityBellevue, NE | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Boricua CollegeNew York, NY | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Brookline College-PhoenixPhoenix, AZ | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Bryan College-DaytonDayton, TN | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, OH | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| George Fox UniversityNewberg, OR | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe UniversityHayward, WI | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| McDaniel CollegeWestminster, MD | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Minnesota State University-MankatoMankato, MN | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Mississippi Valley State UniversityItta Bena, MS | 13 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| New England CollegeHenniker, NH | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Simpson UniversityRedding, CA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo CampusGurabo, PR | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies OnlineManchester, NH | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Northwestern-St PaulSaint Paul, MN | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA | 13 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh, WI | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Wayland Baptist UniversityPlainview, TX | 20 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Winona State UniversityWinona, MN | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Doctoral programs in human services
Highest first-year earnings
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walden UniversityMinneapolis, MN | 78 | $74,731 | $72,722 | $158,017 |
| Capella UniversityMinneapolis, MN | 38 | $80,663 | $71,288 | $81,739 |
| Albizu University-MiamiMiami, FL | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The University of Arizona Global CampusChandler, AZ | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Frequently asked questions
How much do human services graduates earn?
Graduates of the typical master's program earned a median of $53,423 one year after finishing, in 2024 dollars.
How much debt do human services graduate students take on?
The typical program's graduates who borrowed left with a median of $40,720 in federal loans taken at that school. Undergraduate loans are not included.
Undergraduate: Human services major
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.