Management Information Systems and Services at Western Carolina University

Western Carolina's MIS program starts graduates nearly $12,000 below the national median at $47,867, ranking in just the 16th percentile nationally and 25th percentile within North Carolina. That's a concerning gap in a field where technical skills typically command strong starting salaries—graduates here earn about $14,000 less than peers at East Carolina and lag behind even Appalachian State's median. The modest $23,000 debt load keeps the financial burden manageable in the short term, but it doesn't offset the earnings disadvantage.

The 25% earnings growth over four years is the silver lining here, pushing graduates to $60,008 by year four. That growth trajectory eventually closes some of the gap with state peers, though you're still looking at four years of below-market earnings early in your career when compounding matters most for retirement savings and financial momentum. For a program at an open-access institution (87% admission rate), these outcomes suggest students may not be landing the competitive corporate roles or tech hub positions that drive higher MIS salaries.

If your child has stronger options among North Carolina's MIS programs, those would likely deliver better return on investment. East Carolina's $14,000 higher starting salary would effectively cover this program's debt burden in the first year alone.