ROI Major

Management Information Systems and Services at West Virginia University

WV · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Management Information Systems and Services degree from West Virginia University earn a median salary of $93,971 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WV, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $105,349. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.3 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$72,514

Typical Career

$93,971

Top Performers

$112,645

Estimated break-even: 4.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$626

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,831. Most students can comfortably afford about a $626 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in West Virginia buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 19.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 16.2%
Educational Services 13.1%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$105,349

Nominal: $93,971 in West Virginia (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% higher 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).

4.3 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 $47,303 $61,150 $74,562
5 Years After Graduation $72,514 $93,971 $112,645
10 Years After Graduation $99,192 $131,803 $176,356

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 $93,971 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WV, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $93,971 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $105,349 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Management Information Systems and Services from West Virginia University can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $61,150, which increases significantly to $93,971 five years post-graduation, and reaches $131,803 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $105,348.65, indicating a strong financial return relative to the cost of living in West Virginia, where the cost of living index is 0.892 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (16.2%), and Educational Services (13.1%). This diverse range of sectors highlights the versatility of the degree. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 4.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the overall return on investment for pursuing a degree in Management Information Systems and Services appears favorable, making it a viable option for students considering their future career paths.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Management Information Systems and Services degree at West Virginia University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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