Management Information Systems

Types of Degrees Management Information Systems Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general management information systems graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	9,254
Master’s Degree	1,756
Associate’s Degree	907
Basic Certificate	591
Graduate Certificate	250
Undergraduate Certificate	50
Doctor’s Degree	28

What Management Information Systems Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, MIS majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for MIS Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in MIS should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for MIS Majors

A major in MIS prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Programming - Writing computer programs for various purposes.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for MIS Majors

As you progress with your MIS degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Management Information Systems Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with MIS:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Computer and Information Systems Managers	12.0%	$142,530

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 70% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of MIS majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1,065
Black or African American	859
Hispanic or Latino	1,164
White	4,935
International Students	635
Other Races/Ethnicities	596

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in MIS, too. About 6.9% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Management Information Systems Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

MIS majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $89,580 to $152,860 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Management Information Systems

Some degrees associated with MIS may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to MIS have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	3.1%
Some College Courses	15.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	66.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.5%
Master’s Degree	8.0%

Online Management Information Systems Programs

In 2018-2019, 562 schools offered a MIS program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	52	10
Certificate (1-2 years)	36	11
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	0
Associate’s Degree	103	21
Bachelor’s Degree	51	17
Post-Baccalaureate	52	10
Master’s Degree	124	40
Post-Master’s	9	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	4	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Management Information Systems Worth It?

The median salary for a MIS grad is $89,580 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 125% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $993,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Management Information Systems

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to MIS.

Major	Number of Grads
Information Resources Management	1,090
Other Management Information Systems and Services	510
Knowledge Management	311

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Dzonatas under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.