University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
Arecibo, Puerto Rico · Public · 59.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 22/100 · Poor Value
University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo lands in the Poor Value tier with an overall ROI score of 22 out of 100, a reflection of how Scorecard's federal-cohort earnings numbers treat the Puerto Rico labor market more than a verdict on the school itself. Median earnings 10 years after entry sit at just $30,512, the earnings premium is negative (-10.5%), and the model flags the payback period as effectively never (999 years) because graduates do not appear to out-earn the high-school baseline used in the calculation. That weighs heavily despite genuinely modest costs: in-state tuition is only $5,354 and the net price after aid runs about $10,680 per year, or roughly $42,720 over four years. Completion holds at a respectable 52% and the federal repayment rate is 66%, both reasonable for an open-access regional public. Median student debt at graduation is exceptionally low at $4,500, producing tiny monthly payments under $50. The story here is simple: students borrow very little and finish at a fair clip, but local wage levels in Puerto Rico make the federal ROI math look brutal. For families who plan to live and work on the island, the modest sticker price and low debt load matter more than the national earnings premium suggests.
The data raises concerns about University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score22/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers — the cost may not recoup within a working career.
University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $5,354/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $5,354/yr |
| Average net price | $10,680/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $42,720 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $30,512 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | $4,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $48 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 52.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,669 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo is $5,354/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $10,680/year, or roughly $42,720 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $10,332/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The median graduate leaves with $4,500 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $48 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $30,512 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is N/A - (insufficient data to assess).
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 | $10,332 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,033 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,065 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $12,960 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 face a net price of $10,332 per year. For a household at the low end of that band, that is still a serious stretch even after Pell. Over four years that totals roughly $41,328 in out-of-pocket costs, against eventual median earnings of $30,512. The math only works if the student keeps borrowing very low (the school median debt is $4,500) and graduates on time.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-48,000 bracket pays $11,033 and the $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $12,065. Aid tapers steadily as income rises, which is normal. Middle-income Puerto Rico families essentially pay close to sticker, since federal grant aid drops off above roughly $50,000. A $48,000 cost over four years against $30,512 in median earnings is a tight return profile.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-110,000 net price is $12,960, and the $110,001-plus bracket is not reported. Higher-income families pay near full freight on a low sticker, so absolute dollars stay modest. For these families the question is less about affordability and more about whether their student would earn more attending a mainland public with stronger graduate-earnings outcomes.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $37,027 | B+ |
| Registered Nursing | $38,478 | B+ |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $36,328 | A |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | $22,550 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $30,948 | - |
| Clinical Psychology | $25,528 | D |
| Accounting | $34,294 | B+ |
| Marketing | $32,259 | - |
| Teacher Education | $25,502 | - |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | $23,659 | - |
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.
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
The largest program by graduates (116) and a workhorse pipeline into Puerto Rico's pharmaceutical and medical-device cluster. Median debt is $5,250 against 4-year median earnings of $37,027, producing a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.335 and a B+ ROI grade. Graduates often continue to medical, dental, or graduate programs, so reported wage data understates lifetime earnings. For students aiming at the island's bio/pharma employers (Pfizer, AbbVie, Lilly, etc.) this is the school's strongest value play.
Registered Nursing
Nursing produces 91 graduates with 4-year median earnings of $38,478 and median debt of $4,500, yielding a 0.348 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B+ grade. Local RN wages in Puerto Rico run well below mainland levels, but the credential is portable; many UPR-Arecibo nurses migrate to Florida, Texas, or the Northeast where compensation roughly doubles. As a stay-on-island ROI play it is solid; as a mainland-bound credential it is excellent.
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
Smaller program (63 graduates) but the only A-graded major on the list. Median 4-year earnings of $36,328 against just $5,500 of median debt produces a 0.151 debt-to-earnings ratio - the most favorable on campus. Feeds directly into Arecibo-area manufacturing and pharma plants, which value the technical skill set. For a student who knows they want to stay on the island and enter manufacturing, this is the highest-leverage degree UPR-Arecibo offers.
Accounting
Twenty-two graduates with median 4-year earnings of $34,294 and $5,300 in median debt, a 0.338 debt-to-earnings ratio and B+ grade. Accounting is the most reliably mobile credential at UPR-Arecibo - CPAs licensed on the island can transfer to mainland firms, and Big Four shops actively recruit from UPR campuses. Locally, salaries are modest, but the pathway to mainland or Big Four work is real for top students.
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
Sixty-two graduates with median 4-year earnings of just $22,550 and $5,500 of median debt - a 0.871 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. This is the weakest program on the docket: students borrow a similar amount to their nursing and bio peers but end up in a thin local creative-services market that does not pay. Students drawn to media work should weigh whether the program's portfolio output is strong enough to compete for off-island freelance work.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.4% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.0% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.8% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 59.2% |
| Enrollment | 2,669 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 89.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,301 |
UPR-Arecibo reports an admission rate of 59.2%, putting it in the moderately selective range typical of regional public campuses. SAT and ACT 25th/75th percentile bands are not reported in current Scorecard data, which is common for the UPR system where placement uses the College Board's Spanish-language PEAU. The 52% completion rate is consistent with a non-flagship public serving a high-Pell population, where academic readiness varies widely on entry.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Federal peers in Scorecard are mostly other Hispanic-serving or territorial publics: Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music and Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico (both very small specialty institutions), University of Guam, Cameron University in Oklahoma, and Rogers State University in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma regional publics tend to post mainland earnings 50-70% higher than UPR-Arecibo's $30,512, which pushes their ROI scores higher even though their tuition and debt profiles look similar. Within the Puerto Rico cohort, Arecibo's low debt and 52% completion are competitive; the gap shows up entirely on the earnings side.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo (this school) | 22 | $10,680 | $30,512 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Humacao | 23 | $12,675 | $29,521 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon | 22 | $8,484 | $34,409 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Carolina | 22 | $12,945 | $30,626 |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla | 21 | $8,742 | $24,776 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla | 21 | $7,765 | $27,997 |
Who Thrives Here
This is a small regional public, enrollment around 2,669, with a Pell Grant rate of 88.96%, one of the highest in the country. It fits commuter students from the Arecibo region who need a low-debt path, plan to live and work in Puerto Rico, and can self-fund the roughly $10,680 annual net price through Pell and family contribution. Strongest programs by graduates are Microbiological Sciences (116 grads), Registered Nursing (91), and Industrial Production Technologies (63), all of which post local earnings well above the school median.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo. With a net cost of $10,680 per year and median graduate earnings of only $30,512 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and a 52.0% graduation rate and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $4,500 is very manageable against $30,512 in annual earnings - well within the financial advisor rule of thumb that total debt should not exceed first-year salary.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
New analyses, updated school profiles, and tools - when there’s 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.