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2025 Best Human Development & Family Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

10 Colleges in the Plains States Region
670 Bachelor's Degrees
$35,823 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in human development & family studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #39 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Human Development & Family Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 670 bachelor's degrees in human development & family studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Human Development & Family Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Human Development & Family Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region The human development bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for human development & family studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Human Development & Family Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Human Development Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The human development school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Human Development & Family Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Human Development & Family Studies in the Plains States Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in human development & family studies.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Human Development

1
86 Annual Graduates
$36,364 Median Starting Salary
$25,030 Median Student Debt

Iowa State University is a great choice for students interested in a bachelor's degree in human development & family studies. Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ames.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the human development program make around $36,364 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from Iowa State University

2

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in human development & family studies has to check out North Dakota State University - Main Campus. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the human development & family studies major at North Dakota State University - Main Campus make $5,894 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from North Dakota State University - Main Campus

3
114 Annual Graduates
$34,241 Median Starting Salary
$27,305 Median Student Debt

Kansas State University is a great option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in human development & family studies. Located in the city of Manhattan, K -State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the human development program report average early career earnings of $34,241.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from Kansas State University

4
32 Annual Graduates
$33,015 Median Starting Salary
$67,243 Median Student Debt

University of Missouri - Columbia is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in human development & family studies. Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the human development program earn around $33,015 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from University of Missouri - Columbia

5

Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Soon after graduation, human development bachelor's recipients generally earn about $37,123 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from South Dakota State University

6

Missouri State is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the human development program earn an average of $32,769 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from Missouri State University - Springfield

7
36 Annual Graduates
$32,614 Median Starting Salary
$18,699 Median Student Debt

UNI is a moderately-sized public university located in the small city of Cedar Falls.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the human development program state that they receive average early career earnings of $32,614.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from University of Northern Iowa

8

Located in the distant town of Warrensburg, UCM is a public university with a large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the human development program make an average of $32,574 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from University of Central Missouri

9

Located in the city of Saint Paul, Concordia University, Saint Paul is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the human development & family studies program at Concordia University, Saint Paul earn $4,770 above the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from Concordia University, Saint Paul

10

Located in the rural area of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the human development program make around $32,588 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in human development & family studies from Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies

Best Human Development & Family Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best human development & family studies colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Missouri 228 145
Minnesota 215 71
Iowa 197 140
Kansas 184 115
Nebraska 180 4
North Dakota 149 172
South Dakota 148 56

View All Rankings >

One of 8 majors within the Family, Consumer & Human Sciences area of study, Human Development & Family Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Human Development Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Human Development & Family Studies 455
Child Development 89
Family & Community Services 59
Child Care & Support Services Management 27
Child Care Provider/Assistant 14
Family Systems 13
Early Childhood and Family Studies 13

Related Major Annual Graduates
Family & Consumer Economics 259
Textile & Apparel Studies 246
Food, Nutrition & Related Services 230
General Family & Consumer Sciences 138
Housing 73
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences (Other) 10

Notes and References

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