ROI Major

Management Information Systems and Services at Radford University

VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.12

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Management Information Systems and Services degree from Radford University earn a median salary of $72,884 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $71,106. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.5 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

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

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$57,195

Typical Career

$72,884

Top Performers

$96,524

Estimated break-even: 6.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$486

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,074. Most students can comfortably afford about a $486 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 20.0%
Health Care & Social Assistance 17.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.7%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$71,106

Nominal: $72,884 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).

6.5 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 $33,485 $43,047 $55,817
5 Years After Graduation $57,195 $72,884 $96,524
10 Years After Graduation $64,190 $90,815 $135,150

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 $72,884 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)
= $72,884 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $71,106 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Management Information Systems and Services from Radford University experience a promising earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, the median earnings stand at $43,047.00, which increases significantly to $72,884.00 after five years and reaches $90,815.00 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national average at $71,106.34, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing despite the cost of living in Virginia being slightly higher than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (20.0%), Health Care & Social Assistance (17.6%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.7%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 6.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Graduates can expect to enter diverse fields with strong job prospects, reinforcing the value of their educational investment.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Management Information Systems and Services degree at Radford University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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