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 PROGRAM-ESTIMATED BREAK-EVEN AGE

28

Among programs that break even; weighted by graduate cohorts. These are program estimates, not tracked individual graduate outcomes.

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 graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. 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?
For Management Information Systems, Among programs that break even, the median program-estimated break-even age, weighted by graduate cohorts, is 28. 0.4% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. FREOPP 2021.
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