Family & Consumer Sciencesat California State University-Northridge
Graduates earn $33,721/yr in their first year — about 4.0% above the national Family & Consumer Sciences average. Base-case 10-year earnings $534K; scenarios range from $499K to $538K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at CSU Northridge
CSU Northridge’s Family and Consumer Sciences program distinguishes itself nationally, largely due to its strategic location within the vast and diverse Los Angeles metropolitan area. This provides an expansive labor market for graduates, offering significant opportunities in education, community services, local government, and non-profits across the San Fernando Valley and beyond. Your foundational knowledge will be highly applicable in critical areas like nutrition education, financial literacy, youth development, and family support, where the program likely benefits from strong local connections to school districts and numerous community organizations. While AI might automate some administrative or data-heavy aspects of the field, the core human-centered, relational work of connecting with individuals and communities remains paramount. To truly thrive, actively seek internships with local agencies and consider specializing in a high-demand area like gerontology or financial counseling within the broader FCS umbrella.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to CSU Northridge's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Family & Consumer Sciences
How CSU Northridge stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at CSU Northridge
Other highest-scoring programs offered at CSU Northridge, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Family & Consumer Sciences at CSU Northridge
What does a 43/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Family & Consumer Sciences at California State University-Northridge?
At 43/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Family & Consumer Sciences programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.
Should I worry about AI if I study Family & Consumer Sciences at California State University-Northridge?
The 41% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.
Is California State University-Northridge one of the best schools for Family & Consumer Sciences?
Among 42 Family & Consumer Sciences programs, California State University-Northridge's #6 position reflects consistently above-average results across earnings, ROI, and employment probability.