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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Human Development & Family Studies

36 Ranked Colleges
129 Degrees Awarded
$33,600 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Human Development & Family Studies is the 44th most popular major in the country with 42,112 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, human development and family studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,862 and had an average of $22,387 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 129 human development and family studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in human development and family studies. That schools that top this list have a program in human development and family studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Human Development & Family Studies

1
Fielding crest
Fielding Graduate University
Santa Barbara, California

Out of the 36 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Fielding Graduate University landed the #1 spot on the list. Fielding is a small school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 9 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Fielding Human Development & Family Studies Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Woman’s University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major. TWU is a fairly large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 14 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Texas Woman’s University

3

Out of the 36 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Iowa State University

4
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tufts University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major list. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s human development degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Tufts University

5

Out of the 36 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #5 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 4 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at UNC Greensboro

6
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking. Capella University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 doctorate’s human development degrees to qualified students.

Full Capella University Human Development & Family Studies Report

7
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

University of Rochester ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major list. University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Rochester Human Development & Family Studies Report

8
Montclair State crest
Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking. Located in Montclair, New Jersey, this large public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s human development students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Montclair State

9

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking, coming in at #9. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 5 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

10
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major list. Clemson University is a large public school situated in Clemson, South Carolina. It awarded 4 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Clemson

11
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking, coming in at #11. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s human development degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Virginia Tech

12
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

With a ranking of #12, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major list. UK is a large school located in Lexington, Kentucky that handed out 4 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at University of Kentucky

13

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified doctorate’s human development students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State Human Development & Family Studies Report

14
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking. Auburn University is a public institution located in Auburn, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Auburn Human Development & Family Studies Report

15
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking. Oregon State is a public institution located in Corvallis, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Oregon State University

16
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Human Development & Family Studies at Mississippi State

17

With a ranking of #17, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s human development degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s human development degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at University of California - Davis

19

With a ranking of #19, Utah State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major list. Utah State University is a large school located in Logan, Utah that handed out 2 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Utah State University

20
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking, coming in at #20. Syracuse University is located in Syracuse, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s human development degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Syracuse

21

Cleveland State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking. Cleveland State University is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s human development degrees to qualified students.

Full Cleveland State University Human Development & Family Studies Report

22
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking. Washington State University is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 2 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Washington State University

23
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 2 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Northwestern University

24
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Storrs, Connecticut, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s human development degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Connecticut Human Development & Family Studies Report

25
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Human Development Major ranking. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s human development degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Human Development & Family Studies at Texas Tech University

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