Management Information Systems and Services at Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College's MIS program starts graduates $11,600 below the national median at $47,857, but delivers strong 28% earnings growth over four years—outpacing what most tech-adjacent programs achieve. Among Rhode Island's limited MIS offerings (just four schools), this program sits at the 60th percentile, meaning it's middle-of-the-pack locally. The debt burden of $20,725 is manageable, representing just 5 months of first-year salary, and comes in lower than the national median for MIS programs.

The real story here is trajectory versus starting point. While grads enter the workforce earning less than peers at other schools, by year four they've closed much of that gap, reaching $61,000. For a state school serving a significant population of Pell Grant recipients (41%), this represents solid outcomes that improve notably with experience. The concern is that starting salary: nationally, this program ranks in just the 16th percentile, suggesting employers may view this degree differently than MIS credentials from more competitive schools.

For families prioritizing low debt over immediate earning power, this works—especially if your student plans to stay in Rhode Island's smaller job market where local credentials matter more than national rankings. But students eyeing jobs at major tech firms or financial services companies should know they'll start behind peers from higher-ranked programs and need several years to catch up.