by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are many people in society that need special help at some point in their lives: the elderly, homeless families, pregnant teens, and people with addiction problems. A degree in human services will allow you to provide essential services to vulnerable populations. Human Services involves the general study of human behavior as well as hands-on field experience in order to learn how to improve the lives of people. Generalists will be able to work in public and private human services agencies and organizations.
Instruction in Human Services will take a multi-disciplinary approach. Classes will include: human behavior, psychology, social sciences, principles of social service, human services policy, planning and evaluation, social services law and administration. You will also receive training in practical applications to particular issues, services, localities, and populations.
Human Services was the 74th most popular major in the 2021-2022 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 12,541 degrees in this year alone. Our 2025 Best Human Services Schools ranking analyzes 111 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for human services students. Explore this or one of our many other custom human services rankings further below.
This major is idea for compassionate and caring individuals who have a passion for helping other people overcome their challenges. Most of the clients you will be working with are in stressful or desperate situations, so it is important to remain empathetic and understanding.
Human Services involves working with people from diverse backgrounds. You must be able to build a trusting relationship with your client making communication and interpersonal skills crucial for success. You will often collaborate with a team of human services workers and think creatively to help your clients overcome their challenges.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional human services certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
There are many different human services degree levels. Human Services programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest human services degree you can get. Human Services programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to human services, with approximately 38.7% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to human services tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 36.8% |
| Master’s Degree | 20.6% |
| High School Diploma | 15.9% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 10.7% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 10.5% |
70.3% of human services workers have at least a bachelor's. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in human services have received.
This of course varies depending on which human services career you choose.
There are two main types of human services: those that deal directly with clients and those that provide administrative support for a service agency. For those who want to work directly with people can find jobs as the following: case workers, counselors, mental health aides, and social workers. On the administrative side, you can find work as a grant writer, program director, or development director.
Want a job when you graduate with your human services degree? Human Services careers are expected to grow 16.2% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to human services.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Social and Human Service Assistants | 453,600 | 16.4% |
| Social and Community Service Managers | 173,800 | 18.0% |
| Community and Social Service Specialists | 113,500 | 13.2% |
Human Services graduates between <nil> reported earning an average of $37,991 in the <nil> timeframe. Earnings can range from as low as $19,164 to as high as $75,677. As you might expect, salaries for human services graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for human services graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers human services grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Social and Community Service Managers | $71,670 |
| Community and Social Service Specialists | $46,050 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | $35,830 |
With over 750 different human services degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased human services school rankings to help you with this.
One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Human Services has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Human Services | 12,541 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 16,043 |
| Public Policy | 6,484 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 2,872 |
| Other Public Administration | 721 |
Image Credit: By University of the Fraser Valley under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
