Boricua College
New York, New York · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 37/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Boricua College earns a ROI score of 37/100, placing it in the Below Benchmark tier - but the underlying picture is more nuanced than that tier suggests. The strong indicators: 80.6% completion rate (90/100 sub-score) and a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.255 (96/100) - graduates leave with very low median debt of $6,733. The weak indicators that drag the score: median ten-year earnings of $35,348 produce a near-zero earnings premium of 0.6% over New York high-school-only earners (7/100), and a 577.5-year payback flag indicates earnings barely move the needle against the four-year cost of $60,980. Only 45% of borrowers are progressing on loans three years after entry (6/100 repayment rate). Tuition is $13,025 with net price of $15,245 (net price exceeds tuition, indicating limited institutional aid). With only 391 students and an 86% Pell rate, this is a tiny Hispanic-serving institution focused on bilingual education and community-rooted programs. The completion and low-debt outcomes are real strengths; the earnings ceiling is the real constraint. As of 2024-2025 Scorecard data, Boricua College is a mission institution serving a high-need population where students graduate at high rates with low debt but enter relatively low-wage fields.
How Boricua College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score37/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Boricua College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,025/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,025/yr |
| Average net price | $15,245/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $60,980 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,348 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $6,733 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $71 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 80.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 391 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $13,025/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $15,245/year, or roughly $60,980 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $14,809/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $6,733, which works out to about $71 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($26,400) and comes to 0.26, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $14,809 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,907 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $23,253 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $14,809 per year, or roughly $59,000 over four years. With 86% of students Pell-eligible, this is the modal income bracket. Pell + Direct Loans cover most of it, and the school's low median debt of $6,733 indicates the institutional model successfully limits borrowing. This is the income bracket where Boricua's economics actually work.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households in the $30,001-$48,000 range pay $13,907 - actually lower than the lowest bracket, an inverted pattern. The $48,001-$75,000 bracket then jumps to $23,253. These swings suggest small-sample noise; only a handful of students per income tier shape the numbers.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 and $110,001+ brackets are not reported, indicating effectively zero high-income enrollment. Boricua is designed for and serves a Pell-eligible, working-class population.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Boricua College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education | $55,959 | B+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $42,710 | - |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | $49,778 | B+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Teacher Education
Teacher education is Boricua's flagship program: 30 graduates with $40,065 first-year earnings rising to $55,959 by year four against just $10,334 median debt. Debt-to-earnings of 0.258 yields a B+ grade. The bilingual teacher pipeline into NYC public schools is a clear pathway, and the low debt load combined with PSLF eligibility for public school teachers makes this a strong niche ROI play for the right student.
Community Organization and Advocacy
Community organization shows excellent program-level metrics: $42,155 first-year earnings rising to $49,778 by year four against just $10,650 median debt. B+ grade. The reported zero graduates this cycle suggests it's a small or wind-down track, but for students who pursue it, the combination of community-service career with low debt and PSLF eligibility is genuinely defensible.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration produces 4 graduates with $37,258 first-year earnings rising modestly to $42,710 by year four. Median debt and ratio are not reported. The small sample size limits inference, but the earnings level suggests business graduates from Boricua face a harder labor-market situation than the teacher-education track that the school is built around.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 44.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 43.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 49.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Boricua College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 391 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 86.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,110 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and no SAT or ACT mid-ranges are published. With only 391 students enrolled and an 86% Pell rate, Boricua almost certainly operates on rolling, mission-based admissions targeting bilingual Hispanic and Latino students in New York City. The 80.6% completion rate is remarkable for the student demographic served and signals the school's bilingual, culturally-rooted model genuinely works for persistence.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boricua College (this school) | 37 | $15,245 | $35,348 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 94 | $29,882 | $131,426 |
| Adelphi University | 75 | $30,783 | $75,482 |
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | 42 | $16,282 | $40,650 |
| University of Fort Lauderdale | 35 | $19,965 | $38,062 |
| Blackburn College | 34 | $18,460 | $46,802 |
Who Thrives Here
Boricua fits bilingual Spanish-English students from NYC's Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities seeking a culturally-rooted, small (391 enrolled) educational experience aimed at community-service careers. The 86% Pell rate signals a deeply working-class student body, and the school's persistence model is the standout achievement: 80.6% completion in this demographic context is far above national averages. The trade-off is the earnings ceiling - graduates enter teaching, social services, and community advocacy roles. Students who value the mission and community will thrive.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Boricua College scores 37/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,245 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $35,348 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: its 80.6% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a three-year loan repayment rate of 45.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
On debt, you can breathe a little easier here. Median debt of $6,733 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $26,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
Boricua College: Common Questions
Is Boricua College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Boricua College scores 37/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,245 a year after aid against $35,348 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Boricua College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $15,245 a year, or roughly $60,980 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Boricua College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $35,348 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Boricua College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Boricua College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Boricua College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $6,733, against average earnings of $26,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26. In our view that is very manageable: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
What is the graduation rate at Boricua College?
The six-year graduation rate is 80.6%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.