Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico · Public · 100.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 21/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico is the public fine-arts and design school of Puerto Rico, and its 21 ROI score reflects the structural reality of Puerto Rico's labor market more than institutional quality. In-state tuition is just $4,902, net price after aid is $5,669, and four-year total cost is $22,676 - very low. Median debt is not reported, likely because students borrow very little, so our debt-to-earnings measure gets a neutral middle score of 50. But median earnings ten years out are only $21,790. The 44.8% completion rate is modest. The core context: Puerto Rico's economy pays fine-arts and design graduates less than the U.S. mainland does, and Scorecard earnings data captures this honestly.
How Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico 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 Score21/100 - 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.
Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $4,902/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $8,502/yr |
| Average net price | $5,669/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $22,676 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $21,790 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $13,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 44.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 466 |
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: $4,902/year ($8,502/year out-of-state), 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 $5,669/year, or roughly $22,676 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 $5,208/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The Department of Education does not report a median debt figure for this school, usually because too few students borrow federal loans for the figure to be published. Our ROI score gives this measure a neutral middle value rather than treating it as zero debt.
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 | $5,208 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $6,026 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $6,821 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $7,684 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $5,208 per year - extremely low absolute cost. With Pell, the effective cost is essentially zero for many students. The 78% Pell rate suggests this is the dominant student profile. Even with $21,790 median earnings ten years out, the cost side is so low that net outcomes can still be positive for students who finish.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $6,026, climbing modestly to $6,821 for $48,001-$75,000 and $7,684 for $75,001-$110,000. Four-year totals of $24,000-$31,000 remain low by any standard. The financial constraint here is earnings, not cost.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $110,001-plus bracket has no reported figure - likely a small-cell suppression rather than a meaningful gap. Given the 78% Pell rate, very few high-income families enroll. At any income level, this institution's cost is not the issue; the question is the post-graduation earnings trajectory in Puerto Rico's economy.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Fine and Studio Arts | $23,194 | - |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $23,558 | - |
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.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts is the largest program at 23 graduates with first-year earnings of $7,453 and four-year earnings of $23,194 - a steep ramp suggesting many students are part-time or precariously employed in their first year out. Median debt is not reported. Students serious about earnings should plan to relocate or pursue commercial-design hybrid careers.
Visual and Performing Arts
Visual and Performing Arts had 4 graduates with four-year earnings of $23,558 - slightly higher than Fine Arts but on a tiny graduate count. The pattern is consistent: modest but real earnings growth for students who persist in the field. Debt data is missing. With such a small cohort, individual outcomes vary widely based on whether graduates remain in Puerto Rico or 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 Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico’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
| Acceptance rate | 100.0% |
| Enrollment | 466 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 78.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $3,063 |
SAT/ACT data is not reported, and standardized testing is largely irrelevant in this context; admissions decisions hinge on portfolio review, audition, or program-specific qualifications. The open admissions paired with a 44.8% completion rate suggests Puerto Rico's economic conditions and the demanding nature of arts study account for non-completion more than academic gatekeeping.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico (this school) | 21 | $5,669 | $21,790 |
| Dewey University-Hato Rey | 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 |
| Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa | 17 | $6,440 | $21,410 |
Who Thrives Here
With 466 students and a 78.1% Pell rate, Escuela serves predominantly low-income Puerto Rican students pursuing visual and performing arts careers. Strong fit for students who want serious studio training and intend to build careers in Puerto Rico's arts community, government cultural programs, or local design and gallery work.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico scores 21/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $5,669 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $21,790 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 44.8% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico: Common Questions
Is Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico scores 21/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $5,669 a year after aid against $21,790 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 Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico 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 $5,669 a year, or roughly $22,676 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 Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $21,790 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 Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico?
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 Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico?
The six-year graduation rate is 44.8%. 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.