Management Information Systems and Services at Midwestern State University

At $44,524, graduates from this MIS program are earning roughly $8,000 less than the Texas median and $15,000 below the national average—a meaningful gap in a tech field where strong starting salaries are the norm. While the debt load of $24,000 is manageable and produces a reasonable 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio, the earnings themselves sit in just the 5th percentile nationally. Even within Texas, where the program ranks at the 25th percentile, it's being significantly outperformed by state flagships and competitors. For context, UT Austin's MIS graduates start at $86,622—nearly double what Midwestern State grads earn.

The small sample size here matters. With fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these numbers could shift considerably year to year, and may not reflect typical outcomes. That said, the gap to both state and national benchmarks is substantial enough to warrant concern. For a 40% Pell-eligible student body, that $44,524 starting salary might be life-changing compared to no degree at all, but parents should know their student will likely be starting well behind peers from other Texas MIS programs.

If your child is considering this program, understand they're accepting significantly lower earning potential in exchange for the accessibility of an 87% admission rate. The debt is reasonable, but the payoff isn't competitive with what other Texas schools deliver in this field.