Caribbean University-Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 17/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Caribbean University-Ponce earns a 17/100 ROI score and the Below Benchmark tier. The headline numbers reflect both genuine institutional underperformance and the structural reality of Puerto Rico's labor market. Average earnings six years after entry are just $18,400, climbing only to a median $22,842 by year ten. The earnings premium is NEGATIVE 61.2%, a 0/100 sub-score. The 999-year payback period is the algorithm's signal that earnings effectively never recoup cost. Net price is $4,964, reflecting both low tuition ($8,844 sticker) and aggressive Pell-grant absorption. Total four-year cost is $19,856. Median federal debt is $10,500, producing a 0.571 debt-to-earnings ratio. Completion is 36.7%, weak. Repayment rates fall over time: 41% of borrowers are making progress at three years, falling to 31% at five years. The honest read: the low cost and low absolute debt are real positives, but graduates' wages are so weak that even small loans become problematic.
How Caribbean University-Ponce 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 Score17/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate36.7% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- 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.
Caribbean University-Ponce
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,844/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $8,844/yr |
| Average net price | $4,964/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $19,856 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $22,842 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $18,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $10,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $111 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 36.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 414 |
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: $8,844/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $4,964/year, or roughly $19,856 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 N/A/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 $10,500, which works out to about $111 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($18,400) and comes to 0.57, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
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 | N/A |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $4,964 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The income-bracket data is largely missing for Caribbean-Ponce - only the $30K-$48K bracket is reported, at $4,964 net price. The other brackets (under $30K, $48K-$75K, $75K-$110K, $110K+) all show null. This reflects the school's narrow student demographic, where almost the entire student body is in the lowest two income tiers. Pell-eligible students likely pay near-zero or receive cash refunds.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30K-$48K bracket pays $4,964, the only reported bracket. The school does not report enough students in higher income tiers to publish reliable bracket-specific net prices. Practically, this means middle-income families considering this school should run the institution's own net-price calculator rather than rely on aggregated data.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The high-income brackets are entirely null in current Scorecard data, indicating that essentially no students above $75,000 household income enroll at Caribbean-Ponce. For any high-income family considering this institution, the data simply does not exist; this is not a school that serves that demographic.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Caribbean University-Ponce with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | $26,324 | B+ |
| Practical Nursing | $30,043 | F |
| Accounting | $26,619 | - |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | $16,087 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $24,784 | D |
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.
Social Work
Social work is Caribbean-Ponce's strongest tracked outcome. Graduates earn $26,324 four years out (1-year not reported) with $7,500 median debt and a 0.285 debt-to-earnings ratio - a B+ grade. With 5 graduates per cohort the program is small but produces respectable individual outcomes given the local labor market. For students committed to social work careers in Puerto Rico, the low debt and reasonable earnings ratio make this a workable path.
Practical Nursing
Practical nursing graduates earn $10,084 one year out, climbing to $30,043 four years out. Median debt is $15,250 against a 1.512 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade). 5 graduates per cohort. The first-year earnings figure is anomalously low and likely reflects part-time post-graduation employment or licensure delays. Even at these low debt levels, the year-one financial position is severe.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal justice graduates earn $15,127 one year out and $24,784 four years out, with $13,500 median debt and a 0.892 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). The figures reflect Puerto Rico's lower public-sector wages.
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Allied health graduates earn $7,046 one year out and $16,087 four years out. Median debt is $6,000 with a 0.852 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). 1 graduate per cohort makes this a tiny sample, and the earnings figures should be treated as non-representative.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 34.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 41.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 30.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 35.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Caribbean University-Ponce’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 | 414 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 71.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $2,281 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported - standardized testing is not commonly required for Puerto Rico institutions, where the College Board's PAA (Spanish-language admission test) is more typical and not captured in the Scorecard data.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean University-Ponce (this school) | 17 | $4,964 | $22,842 |
| Universidad Central de Bayamon | 20 | $4,827 | $25,021 |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Fajardo | 20 | $9,230 | $23,132 |
| University of Puerto Rico at Ponce | 19 | $10,990 | $31,394 |
| Caribbean University-Carolina | 18 | $5,791 | $22,842 |
| Universidad del Sagrado Corazon | 16 | $12,924 | $31,754 |
Who Thrives Here
Caribbean-Ponce enrolls just 414 students with a 71.0% Pell rate, indicating a deeply low-income student body. The fit profile is narrow: place-bound Ponce-area residents seeking workforce-ready credentials in social work, allied health, or criminal justice at the lowest possible out-of-pocket cost.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Caribbean University-Ponce scores 17/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $4,964 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $22,842 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 to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 36.7% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 41.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $10,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $18,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Caribbean University-Ponce: Common Questions
Is Caribbean University-Ponce worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Caribbean University-Ponce scores 17/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $4,964 a year after aid against $22,842 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 Caribbean University-Ponce 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 $4,964 a year, or roughly $19,856 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 Caribbean University-Ponce graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $22,842 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 Caribbean University-Ponce?
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 Caribbean University-Ponce. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Caribbean University-Ponce graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $10,500, against average earnings of $18,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Caribbean University-Ponce?
The six-year graduation rate is 36.7%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (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.