Management Information Systems and Services at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Metropolitan State University of Denver's MIS program produces graduates earning just under $60,000 their first year—solid middle-of-the-road numbers nationally, but landing in the 40th percentile among Colorado's six MIS programs. That gap matters: while these graduates start only slightly below the national median, they're trailing the state median by nearly $8,000. In a tech hub like Denver where companies compete for IT talent, that difference suggests this program isn't quite positioning students for the strongest local opportunities.

The value proposition improves somewhat over time, with earnings jumping 23% to nearly $73,000 by year four. Debt loads are reasonable at $26,482—actually below the state median and well below the national average—resulting in a manageable 0.45 debt-to-earnings ratio. For students who can't access Colorado State University Global (where grads earn $75,000) or other top state programs, Metro State offers an accessible entry point with a 99% admission rate and serves a substantial population of Pell grant recipients.

The question for families: is paying near-median debt for below-median Colorado outcomes the right tradeoff? If your student needs open admissions and lower barriers to entry, this delivers stable IT career prospects without crushing debt. But if they can access more selective in-state options, they'll likely see stronger initial placement in Denver's competitive tech market.