Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico · Private Nonprofit · 99.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 8/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez scores 8 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale - a near-floor score driven by a convergence of severe problems. Average 6-year earnings are $17,700, and the payback period is reported as 999 by the Scorecard, indicating the model could not resolve a finite payback from the cost-to-earnings relationship. The earnings premium sub-score is -0.219. The 39.9% completion rate means fewer than two in five enrolled students graduate. The 45.3% repayment rate indicates a majority of borrowers are not making progress on their loans. Sticker tuition is $6,550; net price averages $11,502. The school enrolls 555 students and serves a high-need population - 80.4% of students receive Pell grants. Scorecard does not report SAT or ACT ranges. No program earns better than a C+ grade.
How Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 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 Score8/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate39.9% - 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.
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $6,550/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $6,550/yr |
| Average net price | $11,502/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $46,008 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $24,908 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $17,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $15,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $164 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 39.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 555 |
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: $6,550/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 $11,502/year, or roughly $46,008 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 $11,000/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 $15,500, which works out to about $164 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($17,700) and comes to 0.88, 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 | $11,000 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,890 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,432 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $15,675 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $11,000 per year. For a school with 80.4% Pell grant enrollment, this is the dominant cost scenario. At $17,700 average 6-year earnings and a 39.9% completion rate, the financial risk to low-income students is severe - particularly for the 60%+ who do not complete and leave with debt and no credential. The 45.3% repayment rate confirms this risk is realized for many borrowers.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $13,432 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $15,675. Given that the institution's Pell rate is 80.4%, middle-income families represent a very small share of the enrolled population. The payback math is unfavorable at every income level given the $17,700 average 6-year earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Scorecard does not report a net price figure for the $110,001-plus income bracket. The institution's overwhelmingly low-income student body makes this bracket largely theoretical.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $27,205 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $23,351 | C |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $28,523 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $24,412 | D |
| Social Work | $19,099 | D |
| Political Science and Government | $22,958 | D |
| Special Education and Teaching | $34,645 | - |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $33,066 | - |
| Accounting | $31,158 | F |
| Psychology | $24,118 | C+ |
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.
Biology
Biology (21 graduates) earns an F grade: $17,632 year-one and $27,205 year-four with $18,500 in median debt and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.049. At year one, debt exceeds annual earnings. The four-year figure of $27k reflects a Puerto Rico labor market where biological sciences pay significantly below continental U.S. norms. Graduates carrying $18,500 in debt on $17-27k earnings face genuine repayment stress.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice and Corrections (16 graduates) earns a C grade with no year-one earnings reported; year-four earnings are $23,351 with $14,150 in median debt and a ratio of 0.606. The C grade reflects a debt-to-earnings ratio set against earnings that leave little financial margin. Scorecard does not report year-one data for this cohort.
Psychology
Psychology reports a C+ grade with $26,047 year-one and $24,118 year-four earnings - an unusual case where four-year earnings are lower than year-one, suggesting a small and variable cohort. Median debt of $12,250 and a ratio of 0.47 produce the grade. Scorecard reports zero graduates for this program cohort, making the earnings figures unreliable for planning purposes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (5 graduates) earns a D grade: $18,225 year-one and $24,412 year-four with $14,357 median debt and a ratio of 0.788. The cohort is very small (5 graduates), limiting the reliability of the earnings figures. Business graduates entering Puerto Rico's private sector face wage compression relative to continental U.S. markets.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences (7 graduates) earns a D grade: $19,848 year-one and $28,523 year-four with $19,040 in median debt and a ratio of 0.959. Near year one, debt and earnings are nearly equal. The cohort is small (7 graduates), and the earnings pattern reflects limited high-wage career pathways from a general liberal arts credential in the Mayaguez labor market.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 37.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 37.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 37.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez’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 | 99.2% |
| Enrollment | 555 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 80.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,241 |
At 99.2% admission, the university is functionally open access. Scorecard does not report SAT or ACT score ranges. Students considering enrollment should place heavy emphasis on the 39.9% completion rate - more than six in ten enrolled students do not graduate - and the extremely low repayment rate, which suggests that borrowing is risky relative to observed outcomes.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The 8 ROI score reflects genuine structural challenges: regional wage compression, very low completion rates, and a nearly universal low-income student body facing difficult borrowing outcomes.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (this school) | 8 | $11,502 | $24,908 |
| Atlantic University | 26 | $6,425 | $25,272 |
| Le Moyne-Owen College | 11 | $7,099 | $35,594 |
| Universidad Adventista de las Antillas | 11 | $9,919 | $28,465 |
| Voorhees University | 8 | $13,335 | $35,339 |
| Jarvis Christian University | 4 | $9,825 | $32,992 |
Who Thrives Here
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez admits 99.2% of applicants and enrolls 555 students in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Scorecard does not report test score ranges. The Pell grant rate is 80.4%, reflecting an almost entirely low-income student body. The school serves a population with limited access to other higher education options. Puerto Rico's labor market produces compressed earnings relative to the continental United States, which partially explains the low Scorecard earnings figures - but the completion rate of 39.9% and repayment rate of 45.3% represent structural problems beyond regional wage differences.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez scores 8/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $11,502 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $24,908 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 39.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.88 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 45.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $15,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $17,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.88. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez: Common Questions
Is Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez scores 8/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $11,502 a year after aid against $24,908 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 Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 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 $11,502 a year, or roughly $46,008 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 Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $24,908 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 Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez?
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 Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $15,500, against average earnings of $17,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.88. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez?
The six-year graduation rate is 39.9%. 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.