Management Information Systems and Services at Ashford University

Ashford's MIS program presents an unusual pattern: graduates start just above California's median at $61,359, then see earnings slip to $58,231 by year four. That backward trajectory is rare in information systems, where skills typically compound in value. Among 14 California MIS programs, this one ranks exactly at the 60th percentile—middle of the pack, but trailing schools like UC Irvine by $10,000 and even some Cal State campuses.

The debt situation demands attention. At $40,327, graduates carry roughly double the debt load of typical California MIS students ($19,995) and significantly more than the national average ($24,000). This puts Ashford's program in the 5th percentile nationally for debt—meaning 95% of comparable programs saddle students with less. The 0.66 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic, but it's concerning when paired with declining income.

For parents, this adds up to a questionable value equation. Your child would pay premium tuition for a program that delivers median outcomes initially, then loses ground. The 31% Pell Grant population suggests many families are already stretching financially. If you're paying out-of-state or private tuition rates for this degree, the math gets harder to justify when California's public universities offer stronger earning trajectories at lower debt loads. The robust sample size means these patterns are reliable, not flukes.