ROI Major

Management Information Systems and Services at Manchester Community College

CT · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Management Information Systems and Services degree from Manchester Community College earn a median salary of $71,899 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $62,358. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.9 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$58,150

Typical Career

$71,899

Top Performers

$97,392

Estimated break-even: 6.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$479

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,992. Most students can comfortably afford about a $479 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Finance & Insurance, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.6%
Finance & Insurance 9.8%
Retail Trade 8.6%

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

$62,358

Nominal: $71,899 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% 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).

6.9 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 $28,024 $43,347 $62,446
5 Years After Graduation $58,150 $71,899 $97,392
10 Years After Graduation $49,513 $70,625 $97,446

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 $71,899 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $71,899 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $62,358 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 Manchester Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $43,347, which rises to $71,899 five years post-graduation. However, it is noteworthy that median earnings ten years after graduation slightly decrease to $70,625. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $62,358.2, indicating that graduates may experience varying economic conditions depending on their location and cost of living.

The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, with 32.8%, 24.6%, and 18.8% of graduates entering this sector at different stages. This concentration suggests a robust demand for management information systems professionals within health-related fields. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 6.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the overall return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, particularly given the strong industry connections and employment opportunities in a growing sector.

Compare with Another School

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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.