Management Information Systems and Services at The University of Texas at El Paso

UTEP's MIS graduates start at $41,014—nearly $12,000 below the Texas median for these programs and $18,000 below the national benchmark. While the program ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally, it performs somewhat better within Texas at the 25th percentile, though this still means three-quarters of comparable Texas programs deliver stronger first-year outcomes. For context, UTEP MIS graduates earn about half what their peers at UT Austin make ($86,622) and significantly trail even mid-tier state options like University of North Texas ($64,441).

The positive here is manageable debt—at $19,403, it's below both state and national medians, creating a first-year debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5. Earnings do grow 23% by year four to $50,548, but even this improved figure falls short of what most MIS programs deliver immediately after graduation. Given that 61% of UTEP students receive Pell grants, many families are choosing this program for access and affordability rather than maximum earning potential.

The tradeoff is clear: you're getting an MIS degree with reasonable debt but substantially lower earnings than you'd find at most other Texas schools offering this major. If staying in El Paso or minimizing debt are priorities, this works. But if maximizing tech-sector earnings matters, the gap between UTEP and stronger Texas programs is too significant to ignore—you're potentially leaving $15,000-$20,000 annually on the table even after accounting for debt differences.