Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas
Barranquitas, Puerto Rico · Private Nonprofit · 86.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 20/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas is a small private nonprofit campus in the mountainous interior of Puerto Rico, enrolling about 937 students. Tuition is $5,742 and net price is $8,726. The ROI score of 20 (Below Benchmark) reflects severe structural limitations: ten-year earnings of only $23,204 (six-year data not reported), an earnings premium of negative 33.8% - meaning graduates earn less than comparable workers without degrees - and a payback period recorded as 999 years, indicating the repayment model cannot be solved with standard assumptions. The 38% completion rate reinforces the challenge. Repayment data is not available, so the analysis is necessarily incomplete. These numbers reflect the reality of Puerto Rico's regional labor market: wages are structurally lower than mainland U.S. levels, and the credential premium for bachelor's degrees is compressed relative to the continental average. The 88.4% Pell Grant rate indicates that most enrolled students qualify as low-income under federal definitions. Median student debt is unusually low at $5,200, reflecting both the low tuition and the federal aid available to Puerto Rican students.
How Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas 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.
- 6-year graduation rate38.0% - 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.
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $5,742/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $5,742/yr |
| Average net price | $8,726/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $34,904 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $23,204 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | $5,200 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $55 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 38.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 937 |
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: $5,742/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 $8,726/year, or roughly $34,904 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 $8,455/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 $5,200, which works out to about $55 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. We do not have the six-year earnings figure needed to work out a debt-to-earnings ratio for this school.
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 | $8,455 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $9,341 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,712 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $13,301 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students from households under $30,000 pay $8,455 net - already near the minimum for any four-year school. With an 88% Pell rate, nearly all students qualify for maximum federal aid. The debt load of $5,200 median is extraordinarily low. Despite this, the 999-year payback period reflects that mainland-calibrated ROI models break down in Puerto Rico's wage context. For students who plan to remain on the island, the investment is better evaluated against local wage norms, where a degree still opens doors unavailable to non-degree holders.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001 - $48,000 income band pays $9,341 net - minimal additional cost above the lowest bracket. Puerto Rico's household income distribution means relatively few students are in the higher-income brackets, and the upper-income net price data is not available in the Scorecard.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price data for households above $75,000 is not reported, reflecting the very small proportion of Barranquitas students in those income brackets. The absence of data is itself informative: this campus is almost entirely funded through Pell and low-income aid flows. Families with household income above $48,000 should verify their specific net price through the institutional calculator, as the limited data available may not reflect their actual aid package.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $33,897 | B |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $26,898 | - |
| Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment | $25,003 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing (33 graduates) earns $16,039 at one year and $33,897 at four years. Median debt is $5,850 with a 0.37 debt-to-earnings ratio, earning a B grade - the best program ROI at this campus. The low debt and manageable ratio reflect the school's affordability and targeted aid for Puerto Rican nursing students. Graduates serving rural communities may access NHSC loan repayment programs.
Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment
Allied Health (7 graduates) earns $8,300 at one year and $25,003 at four years, against $3,300 median debt - a 0.40 ratio, B grade. The extremely low debt load reflects both cheap tuition and generous Pell coverage. While the earnings are modest in absolute terms, they represent viable employment within Puerto Rico's healthcare system, which relies heavily on locally trained allied health professionals for hospital, clinic, and home health roles.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice (8 graduates) projects $26,898 in four-year earnings with no debt ratio reported. Puerto Rico's law enforcement sector, corrections agencies, and municipal security operations provide local placement. The Scorecard's negative earnings premium for this campus reflects aggregate labor market conditions in PR, not the relative value of a degree within the island economy - where having credentials typically does improve employment access even if absolute wages are low.
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 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas’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 | 86.0% |
| Enrollment | 937 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 88.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,051 |
Barranquitas admits 86% of applicants. No SAT or ACT score data is reported - consistent with Puerto Rico's broader test reporting patterns. Admission is broadly accessible.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Barranquitas's ROI score of 20 reflects the structural mismatch between mainland-calibrated metrics and Puerto Rico's labor market.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas (this school) | 20 | $8,726 | $23,204 |
| Atlantic University | 26 | $6,425 | $25,272 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| The University of Olivet | 23 | $21,393 | $47,907 |
| Keystone College | 19 | $22,051 | $44,976 |
| Universidad Adventista de las Antillas | 11 | $9,919 | $28,465 |
Who Thrives Here
Barranquitas campus serves students in the central mountain region of Puerto Rico who cannot or prefer not to travel to San Juan metro campuses. Its low cost and community-accessible location make it a realistic option for first-generation students and those with family or work obligations in the interior. Nursing and allied health students get the clearest path to employment with transferable skills. Students with ambitions for mainland employment or graduate school should plan their transfer strategy early and supplement credentials with English proficiency and professional certifications.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas scores 20/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $8,726 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $23,204 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 38.0% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas: Common Questions
Is Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas scores 20/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $8,726 a year after aid against $23,204 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 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas 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 $8,726 a year, or roughly $34,904 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 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $23,204 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 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas?
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 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas?
The six-year graduation rate is 38.0%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.