Information Science/Studies at University of Northwestern-St Paul

Information science programs in Minnesota show dramatic variation—from top earners crossing $64,000 at Metro State and Rasmussen to just $25,500 at Saint Mary's—making the estimated $57,000 first-year figure for Northwestern's program right at the state median. While we lack specific graduate outcomes for this program, comparable bachelor's degrees in Minnesota suggest moderate starting salaries that track closely with the national median of $58,651.

The estimated debt load of $26,700 is slightly above Minnesota's typical $22,300 for these programs, though the resulting debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.47 remains manageable by conventional standards. For context, this means roughly half a year's salary in debt—a level where monthly payments shouldn't dominate a graduate's budget. The higher debt relative to state peers likely reflects Northwestern's private Christian college structure, where tuition typically exceeds public alternatives.

The real question is whether your child needs the specific environment Northwestern offers to justify that premium. Given the school's 92% admission rate and the limited data about this particular program's success, you're essentially betting on the broader information science job market rather than on proven outcomes from this specific degree. If the faith-based campus culture matters to your family, the financial picture isn't alarming. If you're purely optimizing for return on investment, the public options with reported outcomes around $64,000 deserve a closer look.