Caribbean University-Vega Baja
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 20/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Caribbean University-Vega Baja is a small private nonprofit in Puerto Rico with a CampusROI score of 20 out of 100, firmly in Below Benchmark tier. The profile reflects the realities of the Puerto Rico labor market more than school-specific weakness: average earnings six years out are just $18,400 climbing to a median $22,842 by year ten, and the earnings premium over a high-school baseline is actually negative at -58.1%, meaning graduates here earn less on average than the broader high-school-only Puerto Rico workforce in the period measured. The modeled payback period is the maximum 999 years, which the algorithm uses when earnings essentially never recoup cost. On the cost side, however, the school is genuinely inexpensive: sticker tuition is $8,844 and net price is just $5,235, putting four-year total cost at about $20,940. Median debt is also modest at $10,500. The six-year completion rate of 50% is reasonable. The clearest problem is repayment progress: only 41% are making progress at three years and 36% by year seven, suggesting a substantial share of borrowers are in deferment or default. Puerto Rico's broader economic conditions weigh heavily on these outcomes.
How Caribbean University-Vega Baja 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 Score20/100 - 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.
Caribbean University-Vega Baja
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,844/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $8,844/yr |
| Average net price | $5,235/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $20,940 |
| 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 | 50.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 152 |
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 $5,235/year, or roughly $20,940 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 | $5,235 |
| $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 $0-$30,000 bracket is not reported despite the school's 76.3% Pell rate, which suggests the bracket data is incomplete rather than indicative of pricing policy.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Only the $30,001-$48,000 bracket reports a figure, at $5,235, which is identical to the institutional average. Higher middle-income brackets are not reported, likely because so few students fall into them at this institution. Families considering enrollment should treat the listed figures as preliminary.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income brackets are not reported. The student population at this school is overwhelmingly low- and middle-income. There is no published net-price data point for full-pay families.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at Caribbean University-Vega Baja with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | $26,324 | B+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $24,784 | D |
| Practical Nursing | $30,043 | F |
| Accounting | $26,619 | - |
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 graduates 2 students per year with four-year earnings of $26,324 against $7,500 in median debt. The 0.285 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a B+ ROI grade. The very small graduate count means individual outcomes drive the figures; treat these numbers as directional. Puerto Rico's social services sector is the natural employer pipeline for these graduates, with structurally low but stable wages.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 1 student per year with $15,127 in first-year earnings and $24,784 by year four against $13,500 in median debt. The 0.892 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D ROI grade. The credential aligns with Puerto Rico Police, federal pathways through the FBI San Juan field office, and corrections roles. Wages reflect the broader Puerto Rico public-sector pay scale, which is materially below mainland equivalents.
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing graduates 1 student with $10,084 in first-year earnings and $30,043 by year four against $15,250 in median debt. The 1.512 debt-to-earnings ratio earns an F ROI grade. The earnings ramp from year one to year four is notable, but the first-year figure is unusually low and likely reflects part-time or transitional employment. Puerto Rico's nursing market is the realistic destination, with wages below mainland equivalents.
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-Vega Baja’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 | 152 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 76.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $2,185 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data for Caribbean University-Vega Baja. SAT and ACT scores are not collected. The school operates as a broadly accessible private institution serving the Vega Baja and northern Puerto Rico region with workforce-oriented programs.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean University-Vega Baja (this school) | 20 | $5,235 | $22,842 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla | 21 | $7,765 | $27,997 |
| Universidad Central de Bayamon | 20 | $4,827 | $25,021 |
| Universidad Teologica del Caribe | 20 | $9,045 | $23,536 |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Fajardo | 20 | $9,230 | $23,132 |
| University of Puerto Rico at Ponce | 19 | $10,990 | $31,394 |
Who Thrives Here
With just 152 students and a Pell Grant rate of 76.3%, Caribbean University-Vega Baja serves an almost exclusively low-income Puerto Rican population pursuing applied workforce credentials. The right fit is a Vega Baja-area student who needs flexible scheduling, Spanish-language instruction, and a low-cost path to social work, nursing, or business credentials. The school's role is essentially access to credentials for students whose alternatives are limited.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Caribbean University-Vega Baja scores 20/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $5,235 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 50.0% 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-Vega Baja: Common Questions
Is Caribbean University-Vega Baja worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Caribbean University-Vega Baja scores 20/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $5,235 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-Vega Baja 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 $5,235 a year, or roughly $20,940 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-Vega Baja 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-Vega Baja?
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-Vega Baja. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Caribbean University-Vega Baja 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-Vega Baja?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.0%. 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.