Management Information Systems and Services at Aquinas College

A $26,500 debt load for a tech-focused business degree sounds reasonable on paper, but the Michigan landscape reveals important context. Similar MIS programs across the state produce first-year earnings of roughly $62,700, which would make this debt manageable at a 0.42 ratio—comfortably below the concerning 1.0 threshold. However, peer institutions with actual reported outcomes paint a more competitive picture, with Central Michigan, UM-Dearborn, and Oakland all placing graduates in the mid-to-upper $60,000s.

The lack of specific data from Aquinas itself means you're essentially betting on whether their program performs at the state average or falls below it. For a school with a 71% admission rate and modest SAT scores, it's worth questioning whether their career services and employer networks match those of larger Michigan public universities. The estimated figures suggest this program should work financially—the debt-to-earnings math checks out—but that assumes Aquinas delivers outcomes comparable to the state's stronger programs rather than trailing them.

If your child is choosing between Aquinas and a Michigan public university with documented MIS outcomes in the $65,000+ range, that $3,000-$5,000 annual earnings gap compounds over a career. If Aquinas offers significantly smaller classes, better individual attention, or stronger employer connections in the Grand Rapids market specifically, those advantages might offset the uncertainty. Otherwise, the lack of verified data makes this a gamble when proven alternatives exist.