Dewey University-Hato Rey
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 33/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Dewey University-Hato Rey, a small Puerto Rican private institution, posts a 33 ROI score in the Below Benchmark tier - though the inputs need careful interpretation. The price is genuinely low: tuition is $8,180 and net price drops to $3,577 thanks to Pell, putting the four-year total at just $14,308. Median federal debt is also low at $5,185, producing a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28. But the earnings figure is the limiting one: ten-year median earnings are $19,761 and the six-year average is $18,500, and the earnings premium is negative 106.5 percent versus a Puerto Rican high-school graduate. The payback period is reported as 999 years, our placeholder for no payback. Completion rate is a relatively strong 53.7 percent for this category. Repayment data is not reported. Pell rate is 93.7 percent - nearly the entire student body is Pell-eligible. Enrollment is just 244. Dewey-Hato Rey reflects the broader Puerto Rican private-college economic environment, where tuition is intentionally kept low because regional wages are low, but the labor-market premium for a bachelor's degree is also compressed. The financial structure is sustainable; the earnings ceiling is the limiting factor.
How Dewey University-Hato Rey 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 Score33/100 - 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.
Dewey University-Hato Rey
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,180/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $8,180/yr |
| Average net price | $3,577/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $14,308 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $19,761 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $18,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $5,185 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $55 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 53.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 244 |
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: $8,180/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $3,577/year, or roughly $14,308 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 $3,192/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year. If money is tight, that matters: this school gives low-income students enough aid to land well below the sticker price.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $5,185, which works out to about $55 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($18,500) and comes to 0.28, 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 | $3,192 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $3,600 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $5,035 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $3,192 per year net, about $12,800 over four years. Pell ($7,395 max) covers all of this with room to spare, meaning most low-income students attend with zero borrowing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $48,001 to $75,000 pay $5,035. The Puerto Rican income distribution is compressed relative to the mainland, so this 'middle' bracket is a small slice of the student body. Most attendees are concentrated below $48,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for households above $75,000 is not reported - meaning effectively no enrollment from higher income brackets. Dewey serves a specific low-income vocational niche, not a broad-spectrum population.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Dewey University-Hato Rey with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education | $27,891 | B+ |
| Registered Nursing | $32,932 | 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 the largest program with 20 graduates. One-year earnings of $19,303 climb to $27,891 by year four against just $4,957 median debt - a 0.257 ratio and B+ grade. Because debt is minimal, the ROI grade is actually strong: graduates earn local-market wages.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing produces 14 graduates with one-year earnings of $21,237 climbing to $32,932 by year four against $5,530 debt - a 0.26 ratio and B+ grade. Puerto Rican RN wages are far below mainland US levels (where staff RNs often earn $70K-plus), but the credential plus minimal debt structure means graduates can sustain a livelihood. Some graduates transfer to mainland US after credentialing and see substantial earnings jumps. Strong financial pathway for those staying local; even stronger for those who relocate.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | N/A | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Dewey University-Hato Rey’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 | 244 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 93.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $2,040 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. No SAT or ACT mid-ranges are reported either. The completion rate is 53.7 percent - many Dewey students are working part-time and enrolled in vocational tracks like nursing and teacher education that they intend to complete.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dewey University-Hato Rey (this school) | 33 | $3,577 | $19,761 |
| Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music | 32 | $7,260 | $19,474 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras | 32 | $9,175 | $35,723 |
| Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico | 27 | $17,540 | $47,540 |
| Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico | 21 | $5,669 | $21,790 |
| Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa | 17 | $6,440 | $21,410 |
Who Thrives Here
Dewey-Hato Rey fits working Puerto Rican adults pursuing vocational credentials in nursing and teacher education, often while working part-time. Enrollment of just 244 supports a small-cohort, personalized experience. The 93.7 percent Pell rate confirms an overwhelmingly low-income student population funded almost entirely through federal grants. Strongest outcomes are concentrated in nursing ($21K one-year, $33K four-year) and teaching ($19K one-year, $28K four-year) - low absolute numbers but high ROI grades (B+) given the very low debt levels. This is a path for students intending to remain in Puerto Rico's local labor market.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Dewey University-Hato Rey scores 33/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $3,577 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $19,761 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: manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a long payback period.
On debt, you can breathe a little easier here. Median debt of $5,185 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $18,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
Dewey University-Hato Rey: Common Questions
Is Dewey University-Hato Rey worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Dewey University-Hato Rey scores 33/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $3,577 a year after aid against $19,761 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 Dewey University-Hato Rey 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 $3,577 a year, or roughly $14,308 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 Dewey University-Hato Rey graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $19,761 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 Dewey University-Hato Rey?
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 Dewey University-Hato Rey. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Dewey University-Hato Rey graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $5,185, against average earnings of $18,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28. 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 Dewey University-Hato Rey?
The six-year graduation rate is 53.7%. 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.