Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa
Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 27/100 · Poor Value
Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa is a tiny Pentecostal seminary and Bible college in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, scoring 27 in the Poor Value tier. The numbers reflect the school's mission rather than a normal ROI calculation. Tuition is just $4,560 with a net price of $6,440 - a small net-price-over-tuition gap reflecting fees and indirect costs. Four-year total is $25,760. But the earnings outcome is grim by labor-market standards: ten-year median earnings of $21,410 are actually LOWER than six-year earnings of $21,900, suggesting graduates' wages do not grow over time. Earnings premium is negative 52.8 percent versus a Puerto Rican high-school graduate. The payback period is reported as 999 years, our flag for situations where earnings never recoup the cost in any reasonable timeframe. Completion rate is just 15.4 percent. Median debt is not reported (and shown as zero), suggesting most students pay out-of-pocket rather than borrow. Enrollment is 137. The 0.557 Pell rate is high. This institution serves a religious-vocational mission for Pentecostal ministry preparation; treating it as a value play against standard four-year college outcomes misses the point of why students enroll.
The data raises concerns about Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score27/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate15.4% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers — the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $4,560/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $4,560/yr |
| Average net price | $6,440/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $25,760 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $21,410 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $21,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $0 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 15.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 137 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa is $4,560/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $6,440/year, or roughly $25,760 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $5,172/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The median graduate leaves with N/A in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $0 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $21,410 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.00 - well within manageable territory.
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 | $5,172 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $7,707 |
| $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)
Families under $30,000 pay $5,172 net per year, about $20,700 over four years. With Pell ($7,395 max) covering effectively all of this, low-income students can attend without borrowing in many cases. This is the dominant student profile here, with Pell covering most or all of cost-of-attendance.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $30,001 to $48,000 pay $7,707 - actually HIGHER than the under-$30K bracket, suggesting Pell phase-out drives the increase. Higher income brackets are not reported at all, indicating effectively no students from those tiers enroll. The student population is overwhelmingly working-class and low-income.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price data for $48,001 and above is not reported - meaning Mizpa effectively does not enroll students from middle and higher income brackets. The institution serves a specific religious and socioeconomic niche, not a broad-spectrum student body. Affluent families pursuing ministry-track education look at theological seminaries elsewhere.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | N/A | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 137 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 55.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $847 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. No SAT or ACT mid-ranges are reported either. As a Pentecostal Bible college with denominational affiliations, Mizpa likely uses pastoral or ministry-track interviews rather than standardized testing for admission. Selectivity is essentially mission-fit rather than academic gatekeeping. The 15.4 percent completion rate reflects both the difficulty of working-adult students completing on schedule and the open-enrollment character of the institution.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Mizpa's peer set is appropriate for the mission: Universidad Adventista de las Antillas serves a similar Caribbean religious-college niche; Atlantic University is a Puerto Rico private; Machzikei Hadath Rabbinical College, Kuyper College, and Manhattan Christian College are all denominational seminaries and Bible colleges. Across this peer group, ROI scores are uniformly weak because the credentials lead into ministry, pastoral, and missionary work where earnings are low by labor-market standards. Mizpa is in line with the group.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa (this school) | 27 | $6,440 | $21,410 |
| Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico | 31 | $5,669 | $21,790 |
| Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico | 27 | $17,540 | $47,540 |
| Atlantic University | 26 | $6,425 | $25,272 |
| University of Puerto Rico at Cayey | 24 | $10,176 | $30,958 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Humacao | 23 | $12,675 | $29,521 |
Who Thrives Here
Mizpa fits Puerto Rican students called to Pentecostal ministry, denominational church planting, or pastoral leadership. Enrollment of 137 is small enough that personal mentorship and denominational placement are part of the experience. The 55.7 percent Pell rate reflects a heavily low-income student body funding much of the cost through federal grants. Students drawn here are not optimizing for labor-market ROI; they are pursuing vocational ministry preparation. Anyone evaluating the school by earnings outcomes is using the wrong yardstick.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa. With a net cost of $6,440 per year and median graduate earnings of only $21,410 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Key strengths include manageable debt relative to earnings. However, the data also shows weak earnings relative to cost and a 15.4% graduation rate and a long payback period.
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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.