MAJORS · 96 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a management information systems degree worth it?
Part of Business and Management — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$778,104. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$778,104
across 185 bachelor’s programs · 16,156 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$788K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
+$510K ⟷ +$989K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
0.4%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
28
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$486K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$112K
Questions
- Is a management information systems degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 185 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Management Information Systems is +$778,104 and the median is +$787,652. 0.4% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$509,925 and +$988,837.
- How long until a management information systems degree pays off?
- Among Management Information Systems programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 28 (FREOPP 2021). 0.4% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a management information systems major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Management Information Systems graduates span +$509,925 to +$988,837 — a +$479K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Management Information Systems: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/management-information-systems