Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 27/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico (PUPR) earns a 27 overall ROI score, deep in the Below Benchmark tier. The story is one of cost mismatched against outcomes in a depressed local labor market. Sticker tuition is $9,870 but net price runs $17,540 - meaning aid does not offset costs and the average student actually pays more than tuition because of fees and living expenses. Notably, net price exceeds tuition, which is unusual and signals a very-low-aid environment where institutional discounting is minimal even for needy students. Four-year cost lands at $70,160. Median debt of $22,564 against six-year earnings of just $26,600 produces a 0.848 debt-to-earnings ratio that is very high. The ten-year earnings figure of $47,540 reflects modest wage growth, and the payback period is 16.8 years. Completion rate is just 28.1%, consistent with PUPR's commuter-engineering profile. Repayment behavior is weak, with only 71.6% of borrowers reducing principal three years out, and that figure actually drops to 62.8% by year five before rebounding - a sign of payment instability. The Puerto Rico labor market constrains earnings ceilings even for engineering graduates.
How Universidad Politecnica 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 Score27/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate28.1% - 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 period16.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,870/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $9,870/yr |
| Average net price | $17,540/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $70,160 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,540 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,564 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $239 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 28.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,594 |
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: $9,870/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 $17,540/year, or roughly $70,160 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 $16,406/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,588/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,564, which works out to about $239 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($26,600) and comes to 0.85, 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 | $16,406 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,013 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,884 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,687 |
| $110,001+ | $22,588 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $16,406 per year - a heavy load for the lowest-income bracket. The aid structure here does not provide significant relief at the bottom of the income distribution, and four-year cost of roughly $66,000 against $26,600 of expected post-graduation earnings is structurally unworkable for many families. The 62.2% Pell rate confirms most of the student body falls in this range.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$110,000) pay $19,884 to $21,687 per year. Four-year cost lands in the $79,000-$87,000 range, which is more than three times typical six-year graduate earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $22,588. Four-year cost is approximately $90,000.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $38,213 | - |
| Architecture | $20,080 | - |
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.
Computer Engineering
Computer engineering is PUPR's flagship program with 60 graduates per year - by far the largest cohort. Median first-year earnings of $38,213 are reasonable for a Puerto Rico-based start but well below mainland engineering equivalents. Median debt and ROI grade are not reported. Graduates who relocate to the mainland (common in this field) see substantial wage premiums; those who stay in Puerto Rico face a more constrained earnings ceiling. The program is the school's strongest pipeline.
Architecture
Architecture produces 30 graduates yearly with $20,080 median first-year earnings. Median debt and ROI grade are not reported. The architectural job market in Puerto Rico is small and the early-career wage data reflects that. Graduates typically need licensure (typically 4-6 additional years post-graduation) before earnings climb meaningfully. Students in this track should plan a long runway and consider mainland licensure portability.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 62.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Universidad Politecnica 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
| Enrollment | 3,594 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 62.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,359 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. SAT and ACT scores are also not reported. The 28.1% completion rate suggests the bigger challenge is persistence rather than entry.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico (this school) | 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 |
| 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
PUPR fits Puerto Rico residents committed to engineering or architecture careers and who can navigate a long, often-interrupted timeline given the 28% completion rate. Pell rate is 62.2%, very high, reflecting a heavily working and first-generation student body. Enrollment is 3,594. Outcomes are constrained by the Puerto Rico labor market itself - graduates who relocate to the mainland (a common pattern) see substantially better wages than those who stay on the island. Self-discipline and a clear path to completion are the single biggest predictors of ROI working out.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico scores 27/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,540 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,540 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16.8 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 28.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.85 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 71.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,564 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $26,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.85. 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.
Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico: Common Questions
Is Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico scores 27/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,540 a year after aid against $47,540 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Universidad Politecnica 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 $17,540 a year, or roughly $70,160 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 Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,540 ten years after enrolling, roughly $5,740 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Universidad Politecnica 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 about 16.8 years for Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,564, against average earnings of $26,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.85. 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 Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico?
The six-year graduation rate is 28.1%. 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.