Management Information Systems and Services at University of Houston-Downtown

The numbers here tell a story of solid workforce preparation at a price point that makes sense for the program's outcomes. UH-Downtown's MIS program produces graduates with relatively low debt—$20,500 compared to the $24,000 national median—and that creates meaningful breathing room even though first-year earnings of $51,314 trail both national and state medians. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40 is fundamentally sound, and earnings growth of 24% over four years suggests graduates are building genuine technical skills that employers value.

Within Texas, this program sits right at the median for both earnings and debt, performing exactly as you'd expect from an open-access university serving a heavily Pell-eligible population. Yes, UT Austin and Texas A&M graduates earn substantially more out of the gate, but they're also starting with different resources and likely facing higher total costs. For a family seeking an affordable path into IT management without the pressure of heavy debt, UH-Downtown delivers what it promises: a legitimate MIS degree with manageable financial obligations in a city with plenty of tech sector opportunities.

The gap between this program's earnings and top Texas schools is real and persistent, but that needs to be weighed against the access it provides. For students who need to work while studying or can't relocate, getting into the MIS field with half the debt load of many peers represents a practical win, not a consolation prize.