Management Information Systems and Services at University of California-Irvine

UC Irvine's MIS program shows strong earnings growth potential, but this success is already baked into the cost structure at this selective campus. Graduates start at $69K—decent but not exceptional for a UC—then jump to $101K by year four. While that 47% growth trajectory looks promising, the first-year earnings only reach the 60th percentile among California MIS programs, trailing schools like Santa Clara ($93K) and National University ($93K) by meaningful margins.

The real advantage here is the debt picture: just $16,500 is the lowest among programs nationwide, giving graduates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.24 that few can match. That's particularly relevant at a campus where 37% of students receive Pell grants, making this one of the more accessible paths to six-figure tech earnings within the UC system.

The caveat matters, though—fewer than 30 graduates means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. If your child is admitted and interested in MIS specifically, this represents solid value with manageable debt. But don't assume UC Irvine guarantees top-tier tech earnings out of the gate; you're paying for the four-year trajectory and the credential, not the immediate starting salary.