Work and Family Studies Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Work and Family Studies maps to BLS occupations averaging about $80,250, with roughly 90,620 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 58%; median in-state published tuition is about $9,299.
Key Statistics
Work and Family Studies: what the data shows
Common questions about work and family studies degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a work and family studies degree?
A Work and Family Studies program is classified under NCES CIP 00.1910 in the 00.0019 field family (00.19).
IPEDS counted 9 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of work and family studies degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.19 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Apparel and Textiles (CIP 00.1909)
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies (CIP 00.1904)
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services (CIP 00.1902)
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services (CIP 00.1905)
- Housing and Human Environments (CIP 00.1906)
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (CIP 00.1907)
How long does it take to get a work and family studies degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1910 in our file:
- 9 Bachelor's (100.0% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in work and family studies?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Instructing, Speaking, Active Learning, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 00.1910, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a work and family studies degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Work and Family Studies to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 382,960 | $58,570 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | 65,870 | $63,780 |
| Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | 13,350 | $76,210 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 2,630 | $77,280 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,680 | $75,890 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a work and family studies degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $9,299 and median net price is $16,310.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Work and Family Studies and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$9,299 Median In-State Public
$29,195 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Work and Family Studies majors are, on average, $9,299 for in-state public colleges, and $29,195 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Work and Family Studies programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
9 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Work and Family Studies from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Work and Family Studies.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington State University | WA | 21,583 |
| 2 | South Dakota State University | SD | 8,798 |
| 3 | San Juan College | NM | 4,228 |
| 4 | Belhaven University | MS | 1,370 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Work and Family Studies programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Juan College | NM | $1,790 |
| 2 | South Dakota State University | SD | $9,299 |
| 3 | Washington State University | WA | $12,997 |
| 4 | Belhaven University | MS | $29,195 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Work and Family Studies programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Juan College | NM | $4,526 |
| 2 | Washington State University | WA | $14,401 |
| 3 | South Dakota State University | SD | $18,219 |
| 4 | Belhaven University | MS | $22,078 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Work and Family Studies programs.
Graduation Rates
57.74% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
59.96% Average Graduation Rate
146 Institutions Reporting
47.58% - 71.44% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Work and Family Studies programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.19 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Apparel and Textiles CIP 00.1909
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies CIP 00.1904
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services CIP 00.1902
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services CIP 00.1905
- Housing and Human Environments CIP 00.1906
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services CIP 00.1907
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1910 in the survey year used in our extract (9 total across levels below).
- 9 Bachelor's (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $80,250. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Work and Family Studies graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $129,630 | 11,430 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $75,138 | 382,960 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | $76,689 | 65,870 |
| Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | $133,872 | 13,350 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | $132,711 | 2,630 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $141,278 | 12,680 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$77,948 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Work and Family Studies majors is $77,948.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Work and Family Studies majors.
Occupations by Share
90,620 2023 Workforce
The number of Work and Family Studies graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Work and Family Studies by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Work and Family Studies in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Work and Family Studies.
Age distribution for Work and Family Studies degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Work and Family Studies degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Work and Family Studies degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Work and Family Studies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Work and Family Studies.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Work and Family Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Work and Family Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Work and Family Studies majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Work and Family Studies majors.
About
Work and Family Studies
In 2023, 9 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Work and Family Studies.
CIP Code
00.1910 - Work and Family Studies
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $80,250. The largest mapped role by headcount is Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (11,430 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $9,299 in-state at public colleges and $29,195 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.