ROI Major

Management Information Systems and Services at Community College of Denver

CO · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.12

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Management Information Systems and Services degree from Community College of Denver earn a median salary of $51,929 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $49,409. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.4 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$34,840

Typical Career

$51,929

Top Performers

$67,042

Estimated break-even: 13.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$346

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,327. Most students can comfortably afford about a $346 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Colorado buys what costs $1.05 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 40.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.1%
Retail Trade 6.6%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$49,409

Nominal: $51,929 in Colorado (COL 105.1% of national avg) · 4.9% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

13.4 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $29,195 $39,842 $60,590
5 Years After Graduation $34,840 $51,929 $67,042
10 Years After Graduation $32,393 $53,343 $83,086

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $51,929 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CO, which has a cost-of-living index of 105.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $51,929 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0510) = $49,409 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Management Information Systems and Services program at the Community College of Denver can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,842, increasing to $51,929 five years later, and reaching $53,343 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $49,409.13, indicating a favorable financial outlook despite the cost of living index in Colorado being slightly higher than the national average.

The program primarily feeds into the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with a significant 64.6% of graduates entering this field. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 13.4 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for students pursuing this degree. Overall, the combination of solid earnings potential and strong industry demand supports a favorable assessment of the program's value.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.