The cost of college in Puerto Rico — and what it pays back
Across the 71 Puerto Rico institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $7,765/yr, $9,137 below the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $24,632 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 1 of the 71 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Puerto Rico's 71 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez | $17,936 | $48,992 | 113.5 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colegio Universitario de San Juan | -$778 | $26,510 | no payback |
| Colegio de Cinematografia Artes y Television | $1,460 | $25,707 | no payback |
| Emma's Beauty Academy-Juana Diaz | $1,993 | $17,034 | no payback |
| Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico-Recinto de Manati | $2,846 | $26,293 | no payback |
| Dewey University-Hato Rey | $3,577 | $19,761 | no payback |
How many Puerto Rico colleges actually pay for themselves?
1 of 71 — 1% of the Puerto Rico institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Puerto Rico graduates out-earn the national median?
Puerto Rico graduates report a median $24,632 ten years after entry, $18,917 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.