University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
San Juan, Puerto Rico · Public · 54.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, the flagship campus of UPR, scores 32 out of 100 - the Below Benchmark tier rating that requires careful interpretation. UPR-RP is a low-cost public ($5,354 in-state tuition, $9,175 net price, $36,700 four-year total) but Puerto Rico's local labor market depresses earnings: average earnings six years out are $23,600, climbing to a median $35,723 at year ten. Median debt is just $5,500, producing an excellent 0.233 debt-to-earnings ratio. The payback period field shows 244.4 years, which functionally means earnings never recoup the cost under the algorithm's standard assumptions; this reflects the islanded labor market, not a debt problem. The earnings premium of 0.020 over a high-school baseline is essentially flat, which is the binding ROI weakness. Completion rate is 50.3%. The program-level data reveals a strong feature: many programs earn A grades because debt is so low that even modest earnings produce favorable debt-to-earnings ratios.
How University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras 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 Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 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.
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $5,354/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $5,354/yr |
| Average net price | $9,175/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $36,700 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,723 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $5,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $58 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 8,572 |
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: $5,354/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 $9,175/year, or roughly $36,700 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 $8,018/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $13,018/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $5,500, which works out to about $58 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($23,600) and comes to 0.23, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $8,018 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $8,553 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,002 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $11,925 |
| $110,001+ | $13,018 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $8,018 net annually. Pell + UPR institutional aid does substantial work. Four-year exposure of about $32,000 is genuinely affordable. For low-income Puerto Rican students this is a defensible value, especially given the very low median debt of $5,500 across graduates.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $11,002, and $75,001-$110,000 pays $11,925. Four-year cost runs $44,000-$48,000 - still extremely competitive. Middle-income island families get an excellent absolute price; the binding constraint is the post-graduation earnings ceiling on the island, not affordability.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $13,018 net per year - four-year cost of about $52,000. Affordable in absolute terms.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $40,152 | C+ |
| Psychology | $30,052 | C+ |
| Linguistic and Comparative Language Studies | $31,930 | C |
| Accounting | $57,201 | A |
| Marketing | $46,038 | A |
| International Relations | $41,417 | B |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $31,848 | A |
| Human Resources Management | $34,844 | A |
| Finance and Financial Management | $57,851 | - |
| Environmental Design | $35,023 | A |
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 is UPR-RP's largest program at 231 graduates, with $11,923 first-year earnings rising to $40,152 by year four. The dramatic year-one to year-four jump strongly suggests medical and dental school graduates entering practice. $5,500 median debt produces a 0.461 ratio and a C+ grade.
Accounting
Accounting produces 83 graduates with $27,883 first-year earnings rising to $57,201 by year four, $5,750 median debt, and a remarkable 0.206 debt-to-earnings ratio earning an A grade. CPA pathways and corporate-accounting roles in San Juan and at mainland firms with island connections drive the year-four earnings ramp.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance produces 48 graduates with $61,729 first-year earnings - by far the highest first-year figure on file at UPR-RP. Year-four median earnings drop to $57,851, an unusual inversion that may reflect a small cohort effect or graduates returning to the island from mainland positions. Either way, this is the highest-earning program at UPR-RP and a strong choice for ROI-focused students.
Psychology
Psychology produces 127 graduates with $10,082 first-year earnings rising to $30,052 by year four, $5,500 debt, and a 0.546 ratio for a C+ grade. The first-year earnings figure reflects the saturation of bachelor's-level psychology in PR's labor market. Students should commit to graduate-school continuation from day one.
Computer Science
Computer Science produces 27 graduates with $54,102 median earnings four years out - strong for the local market. Median debt and one-year earnings are not reported, limiting ROI grade computation. CS at UPR-RP feeds both the island tech ecosystem (limited but growing) and remote/mainland employment, which likely drives the favorable year-four figure. A defensible choice for ROI-focused PR students.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 52.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 63.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 37.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras’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 | 54.6% |
| Enrollment | 8,572 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 66.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,128 |
Admission rate is 54.59%. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported. The 50% completion rate reflects both academic-prep distribution and the economic pressure many students face during enrollment.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (this school) | 32 | $9,175 | $35,723 |
| Dewey University-Hato Rey | 33 | $3,577 | $19,761 |
| Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music | 32 | $7,260 | $19,474 |
| Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico | 27 | $17,540 | $47,540 |
| 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
UPR-RP fits Puerto Rican students who want the island's flagship public-university experience and plan to remain in or return to Puerto Rico. Pell rate is 66.47%, reflecting island income distribution. Total enrollment of 8,572 supports a real research-university experience in Spanish-medium instruction. For students planning to leave the island for grad school or mainland employment, UPR-RP is an exceptional value: low debt, strong academic foundation, and graduate placement at top mainland programs. Students who stay face the local-earnings constraint that drives the headline ROI score down.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $9,175 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $35,723 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 it has going for it: manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 50.3% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 63.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
On debt, you can breathe a little easier here. Median debt of $5,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $23,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.23: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras: Common Questions
Is University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $9,175 a year after aid against $35,723 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 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras 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 $9,175 a year, or roughly $36,700 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 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $35,723 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 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras?
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 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $5,500, against average earnings of $23,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.23. In our view that is very manageable: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
What is the graduation rate at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.3%. 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.