undergradly.
Major · Business, Management & Marketing

Where business strategy meets the systems that run it

Management Information Systems bridges the gap between business operations and technology infrastructure — preparing graduates to design, manage, and optimize the data systems organizations depend on. About 7,600 degrees are awarded annually across 367 colleges, with the vast majority at the bachelor's level. Five-year median earnings for bachelor's completers run about $82,000.

Schools offering
367
Annual completions
7,648
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$80k

About this major

Management Information Systems sits at a deliberate boundary: more technical than a general business degree, less theoretical than computer science. The CIP definition describes it as preparing graduates to provide and manage data systems for processing and retrieving internal business information — which in practice means the curriculum combines database design, systems analysis, and networking fundamentals with business courses in accounting, management, and organizational behavior. Graduates are meant to function as the translation layer between what an organization needs and what its technology can deliver.

Coursework typically moves through database management, business process analysis, project management, and information security before reaching upper-division electives in enterprise systems, data analytics, or IT strategy. Most programs require hands-on projects simulating real business environments. The coding load is lighter than in computer science programs — SQL and some scripting rather than full-stack development — but the systems thinking is just as rigorous.

On the career side, the most direct destination is computer and information systems management at a $171,200 median wage with 15.2% projected job growth. Database architect ($135,980, 8.7% growth) is another well-defined path. About 7,648 degrees are awarded in this field each year across 367 colleges — a moderately sized major with clear institutional homes at universities like Western Governors (747 completions), University of Houston (354), and University of Georgia (347). The major's bachelor's-level completions dominate; associate's-level programs exist but feed into lower-ceiling roles.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Computer and information systems managers $171k +15.2% Bachelor's degree
Computer programmers $99k -6.0% Bachelor's degree
Database architects $136k +8.7% Bachelor's degree
Computer science teachers, postsecondary $97k +5.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$80k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$59k

Bachelor's

$82k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you find yourself more interested in why a business runs on certain systems than in writing the code that powers those systems — if troubleshooting a failed data workflow sounds like a puzzle worth solving rather than an IT problem to hand off. You may also fit well here if you're comfortable moving between organizational and technical domains: MIS graduates who end up in IT management roles consistently describe their value as being able to translate between engineers and executives, and that skill is practiced from the first semester. The bachelor's-level data supports committing to the four-year degree: bachelor's completers report median five-year earnings of about $82,068, compared to $58,952 for associate's completers — a $23,000 difference that reflects the management-track roles the full credential opens.

Think twice if your goal is to become a software engineer or systems architect from the ground up — Information Technology or Computer Science will take you further technically, and employers hiring for engineering roles typically prefer those credentials. Think twice also if you're planning to stay in programming roles long-term without moving toward management: computer programmers, a common MIS entry point, face a -6.0% projected job decline as automation reshapes the occupation. The strongest MIS outcomes come to graduates who move deliberately toward the management and systems-design side of the field rather than settling into individual-contributor technical work indefinitely.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Management Information Systems, General

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT 0 747 747
University of Houston Houston, TX 0 354 354
University of Georgia Athens, GA 0 347 347
The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 0 226 226
University of South Florida Tampa, FL 0 222 222
Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL 0 138 138
The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 0 125 125
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 0 122 122
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK 0 120 120
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 0 118 118
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Marketing/Marketing Management, General

42,445 completions/yr

Information Technology

20,296 completions/yr

Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance

17,632 completions/yr

Information Science/Studies

10,334 completions/yr

Computer Programming/Programmer, General

5,205 completions/yr

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

3,699 completions/yr

Construction Management, General

3,428 completions/yr

Data Science, General

2,068 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Management Information Systems, General field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Management Information Systems, General worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do MIS majors actually study day-to-day?
MIS sits at the intersection of business courses and technology courses — you take accounting, management, and organizational behavior alongside database design, systems analysis, and networking fundamentals. The CIP definition frames it as preparing graduates to provide and manage data systems for processing and retrieving business information, which translates to coursework in database management, business process analysis, project management, and systems security. You will typically write some code and a lot of documentation. Upper-division work often includes hands-on projects designing information systems for realistic business scenarios.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for MIS?
The degree level matters significantly here. Five-year median earnings for bachelor's completers in this major run about $82,068, compared to roughly $58,952 for associate's completers — a gap of about $23,000. The higher-ceiling roles are also gated: computer and information systems managers ($171,200 median wage) and database architects ($135,980) both list a bachelor's degree as the typical entry credential. An associate's can work as a stepping stone or qualify you for technical support and data entry roles, but the management-track positions that define MIS's earning potential require the four-year degree.
What kinds of jobs do MIS graduates end up in?
The clearest destination is computer and information systems manager — the role the major is most directly designed for — at a $171,200 median wage with 15.2% projected job growth. Database architect is another strong path at $135,980 with 8.7% growth. Computer programmers ($98,670) are a common shorter-term landing spot, though that occupation carries a -6.0% projected growth rate due to automation and offshoring trends, which is worth factoring into planning. The major's positioning across business and technology also opens paths in IT consulting, systems analysis, and business analysis roles not captured in individual SOC codes.
Is MIS the right fit, or should I look at a related major?
MIS occupies a distinct niche — it is less technically deep than pure Computer Science or Information Technology, and less business-theory-focused than a general business degree. If you want to write software or work deep in systems architecture, Information Technology (about 20,296 completions annually) or Computer Science will take you further technically. If security specifically interests you, Computer and Information Systems Security (about 17,632 completions) targets that path directly. If you want the business-technology hybrid but with more analytical depth, Information Science/Studies (about 10,334 completions) is a close cousin. MIS is the strongest fit if you want to manage and direct information systems rather than build them from scratch.
How does the job market look for MIS graduates right now?
The picture is mixed and worth reading carefully. Computer and information systems management shows 15.2% projected growth — well above the national average. Database architecture shows 8.7% growth. But computer programming, where many MIS graduates start their careers, shows a -6.0% projected decline as automation and offshore development reshape that occupation. The upshot: the management and architecture paths look durable; the programming path looks more pressured. MIS graduates who position themselves toward the management and systems design side of the field are better insulated than those who stay in programming roles long-term.
What's a realistic earnings picture after an MIS degree?
Five-year median earnings for this major run about $80,090 across degree levels, and about $82,068 specifically for bachelor's completers. That is a solid baseline, but the more telling number is the ceiling: computer and information systems managers earn a $171,200 median wage, and database architects earn $135,980. Those roles typically take five to ten years of experience to reach. The major's earning trajectory is front-weighted toward modest gains early, with significant upside once you move into management or senior technical roles. The wide gap between entry-level and senior compensation is one reason MIS programs emphasize project management and organizational skills alongside technical ones.