Management Information Systems and Services at Park University

Park University's MIS program punches above its weight class nationally while keeping debt remarkably low. Graduates leave with just $11,453 in debt—less than half the national average for this degree—and earn $71,845 in their first year, placing them in the 91st percentile nationally. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.16 means students could theoretically pay off their loans in under two months of gross earnings, an exceptional starting point.

The complication lies in the earnings trajectory: four-year salaries drop to $60,060, a 16% decline that warrants explanation. This could reflect career pivots, geographic moves to lower cost-of-living areas, or the nature of entry-level MIS roles in the Kansas City market. Within Missouri, this program sits at the 60th percentile—solidly mid-pack compared to competitors like Columbia College, but the minimal debt burden gives Park graduates much more financial flexibility to weather early career adjustments than peers elsewhere.

For families prioritizing low debt and strong initial placement, this program delivers. The first-year earnings advantage over the state median ($11,000 more) combined with minimal borrowing creates genuine financial security. The earnings drop deserves investigation during campus visits, but even at the four-year mark, graduates earn roughly what peers do nationally while carrying half the debt burden.