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Management Information Systems and Services at Virginia Western 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 Virginia Western Community College earn a median salary of $68,098 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $66,437. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.9 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$52,071

Typical Career

$68,098

Top Performers

$79,079

Estimated break-even: 6.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$454

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,675. Most students can comfortably afford about a $454 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 32.8%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.9%
Educational Services 8.2%

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

$66,437

Nominal: $68,098 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).

6.9 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 $32,557 $48,878 $62,487
5 Years After Graduation $52,071 $68,098 $79,079
10 Years After Graduation $57,938 $69,841 $90,933

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 $68,098 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)
= $68,098 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $66,437 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Management Information Systems and Services program at Virginia Western Community College experience a promising earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $48,878, which increases to $68,098 five years post-graduation, and reaches $69,841 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation reflect a national equivalent of $66,437.07, indicating that graduates can expect competitive salaries relative to their peers across the country, despite a slightly higher cost of living in Virginia.

The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 32.8% of employment, followed closely by another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 31.6%, and Manufacturing at 16.5%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 6.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. The combination of solid earnings potential and diverse industry opportunities suggests that students can achieve a worthwhile career trajectory by entering this field.

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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.