Management Information Systems and Services at Lipscomb University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45 looks reasonable on paper, but the numbers here tell a qualified story. Peer programs nationally suggest around $59,500 in first-year earnings, while similar private institutions like Lipscomb typically see graduates carrying about $26,600 in debt. That's slightly above the national median for this major but manageable if the earnings materialize—graduates would be dedicating roughly half their first-year salary to debt service.

The challenge is context. Tennessee's MIS programs show significantly lower typical earnings than the national figure—closer to $50,000—and the two state schools with reported data both fall well below the estimated national benchmark. If Lipscomb's outcomes track closer to the Tennessee market than to national patterns, the debt burden becomes less comfortable. The school's 21% Pell enrollment and 67% admission rate suggest it serves a fairly mainstream student body, not necessarily one with extensive safety nets if early career earnings disappoint.

Without actual graduate outcomes from Lipscomb specifically, you're essentially betting on whether this private university's career network and Nashville's tech market can deliver closer to national MIS earnings than to Tennessee's track record. The debt level isn't prohibitive, but it assumes everything goes according to the rosier scenario.