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Management Information Systems and Services at Danville Community College

VA · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.12

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Management Information Systems and Services degree from Danville Community College earn a median salary of $41,887 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $40,865. The degree typically pays for itself in 22 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$32,051

Typical Career

$41,887

Top Performers

$53,022

Estimated break-even: 22 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$279

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,491. Most students can comfortably afford about a $279 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.8%
Educational Services 13.5%
Manufacturing 12.6%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$40,865

Nominal: $41,887 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

22 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $27,172 $36,444 $47,013
5 Years After Graduation $32,051 $41,887 $53,022
10 Years After Graduation $36,118 $48,601 $61,611

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $41,887 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $41,887 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $40,865 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Management Information Systems and Services program at Danville Community College can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $36,444, rising to $41,887 after five years, and reaching $48,601 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national average at approximately $40,865.37, indicating that while the cost of living in Virginia is slightly higher, graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to their peers nationally.

The program prepares students for diverse career opportunities, with the majority entering the Health Care & Social Assistance (40.4%) and Manufacturing (31.2%) sectors. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 22 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree is favorable over the long term. The combination of solid earnings potential and industry demand suggests that graduates can achieve a sustainable career trajectory in a growing job market.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.