by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Consumer Services & Advocacy covers Consumer Services And Advocacy. A Program That Focuses On Providing End-Use Advice And Representational Services To Individuals And Groups Within A Variety Of Settings, And The Analytical And Research Techniques Needed To Protect Consumers From Unsafe, Unreliable, And/or Unhealthy Products And Services. Includes Instruction In Consumer Advocacy, Family Management Systems, Ecological Impacts Of Consumption Practices, And Analyzing And Testing Product Quality And Safety. Continue reading for the essential details every consumer services & advocacy major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering consumer services & advocacy programs.
Across the country, consumer services & advocacy draws strong interest, with 40 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Consumer Services & Advocacy Schools ranking analyzes these 5 schools to determine the best overall colleges for consumer services & advocacy students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of consumer services & advocacy programs later in this article.
Studies in Consumer Services & Advocacy emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations consumer services & advocacy graduates commonly enter.
The skill set emphasized by a consumer services & advocacy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a consumer services & advocacy major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several consumer services & advocacy degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 23 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 17 |
People currently working in careers related to consumer services & advocacy tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 52.6% |
| Doctoral degree | 27.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 9.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.8% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 1.8% |
| Some college courses | 0.5% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.4% |
| First professional degree | 0.2% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in consumer services & advocacy careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in consumer services & advocacy opens doors to numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to consumer services & advocacy.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to consumer services & advocacy.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 1,304,119 | 14.0% |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,267,153 | 0.4% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of consumer services & advocacy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $41,182 |
| 4 years | $45,170 |
| 5 years | $51,999 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for consumer services & advocacy graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers consumer services & advocacy grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | $99,604 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | $55,950 |
With 5 different consumer services & advocacy programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased consumer services & advocacy school rankings to help you.
Those considering consumer services & advocacy, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Family Resource Management Studies, General | 789 |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Services, Other | 246 |
| Consumer Economics | 91 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
