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Management Information Systems

Types of Degrees Management Information Systems Majors Are Earning

Those studying Management Information Systems may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	56
Associate’s Degree	747
Bachelor’s Degree	7,924
Master’s Degree	3,305
Doctor’s Degree	28

What Management Information Systems Majors Need to Know

Programs in Management Information Systems build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Management Information Systems graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Management Information Systems emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Management Information Systems program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Management Information Systems careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Management Information Systems graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Management Information Systems professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Linux	Operating system software	✓
Microsoft Visual Basic	Development environment software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C	Development environment software	—
UNIX	Operating system software	—
C#	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Management Information Systems graduates include:

• Network Technology Instructor
• Computer Technology Instructor
• Computer Information Systems Instructor (CIS Instructor)
• Computer Information Systems Professor (CIS Professor)
• Associate Professor
• Computer Science Adjunct Instructor
• Computer Instructor
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Computer Networking Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Information Systems Professor (IS Professor)
• Java Programming Professor
• Computer Engineering Professor
• Information Security Systems Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Management Information Systems graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	39.9%
Doctoral degree	34.0%
Bachelor’s degree	23.1%
Some college courses	1.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%
Postsecondary certificate	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Management Information Systems?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 66.5% of Management Information Systems degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,047	33.5%
Men	8,045	66.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Management Information Systems graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,538	45.8%
Asian	1,535	12.7%
Hispanic or Latino	1,654	13.7%
Black or African American	1,545	12.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	70	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	26	0.2%
Two or More Races	452	3.7%
Race Unknown	712	5.9%
International Students	560	4.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Management Information Systems Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Management Information Systems graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$68,818
4 years	$76,884
5 years	$85,819

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $85,819 — roughly 25% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Management Information Systems Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Management Information Systems. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	30	9
Bachelor’s	62	33
Master’s	52	13
Doctoral (Research)	4	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Management Information Systems Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Management Information Systems graduates earn a median of $76,884 four years after completion — roughly 102% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration, Management and Operations	402,942
Accounting and Related Services	81,835
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	62,236
Business/Commerce, General	57,976
Finance and Financial Management Services	57,564
Marketing	53,750
Human Resources Management and Services	25,424
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services	16,153
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	14,306
Hospitality Administration/Management	13,333
Real Estate	7,906
International Business	6,933

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.