Management Information Systems and Services at Olivet Nazarene University

Management information systems graduates in Illinois typically earn around $68,000 in their first year—a figure that puts this program right at the state median and well above the $59,490 national benchmark. With estimated debt of $26,581 for Olivet Nazarene graduates, the financial picture looks reasonable: you're borrowing roughly five months' salary, which most MIS professionals can manage comfortably in an IT job market hungry for business-technology hybrids.

The comparison to Illinois' top programs is telling. While UIUC commands a premium with $77,572 first-year earnings, Olivet's estimated outcomes match DePaul and Loyola—respected urban universities with strong corporate connections—at a fraction of the cost. The debt burden here is actually higher than the state median of $21,758, but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39 remains manageable for a field where salaries typically climb steadily with experience.

Here's what matters: Illinois MIS programs produce consistently strong outcomes regardless of institutional prestige, likely because employers care more about technical skills than school rankings. If your student can graduate with debt close to this estimate and land anywhere near these earnings figures, they'll have real career options in database administration, systems analysis, or IT consulting without the financial strain that plagues many bachelor's degree holders.