Students at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo benefit from exceptional affordability, with low-income families paying among the lowest net prices in the country.
The university provides crucial access to higher education for underserved populations while maintaining strong loan repayment performance among its graduates.
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo serves a unique role in Puerto Rico's higher education landscape, though it faces significant challenges in delivering strong economic outcomes for graduates. The institution ranks in the bottom 2% nationally for earnings-related metrics, with graduates earning a median of $24,908 ten years after enrollment—well below typical outcomes at four-year institutions. Despite these earnings challenges, the university excels in accessibility, serving a student body where 76% receive Pell Grants and maintaining relatively low net prices that make college affordable for low-income families.
The university's positioning as an "Under-Resourced Institution" reflects this tension between strong access and weaker outcomes. While it opens doors widely for students who might not otherwise attend college, graduates face significant economic headwinds, earning less than similar students at other institutions. The institution's Catholic mission and Puerto Rican context provide important cultural and spiritual value that extends beyond pure financial metrics.
For families prioritizing affordability and accessibility over earnings potential, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo offers a pathway to higher education at net prices as low as $8,370 for low-income students. However, prospective students should carefully consider the long-term financial implications, as the earnings outcomes suggest limited economic mobility compared with other four-year institutions.
Program offerings at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo are limited in both scope and economic outcomes. Biology stands out as the institution's primary program, graduating 42 students annually, but even this flagship field produces concerning earnings of just $13,702 ten years after graduation—well below what biology graduates typically earn at other institutions. This pattern suggests that the challenges facing graduates extend beyond individual program choices to broader institutional and regional economic factors.
The limited program diversity constrains student options and career pathways. With few programs generating substantial numbers of graduates, students have limited opportunities to pivot toward higher-earning fields or to benefit from the network effects that come with larger, more established programs. The small scale of most academic offerings also limits the institution's ability to develop strong employer relationships or specialized career services that might help graduates access better-paying opportunities.
The earnings challenges appear systemic rather than program-specific, as even fields that typically provide decent economic returns fail to generate competitive salaries for graduates. This suggests that students should carefully consider their career goals and the regional job market when evaluating program options, as the institutional context may limit earning potential regardless of field of study.
Graduates of Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo face significant economic challenges in the job market. Ten years after enrollment, they earn a median of $24,908, placing the institution in the bottom 2% nationally for long-term earnings outcomes. This represents earnings that are roughly $2,696 below what similar students achieve at other institutions, indicating that graduates earn less than would be expected based on their academic and demographic profiles. The low earnings reflect both the economic context of Puerto Rico and the institution's limited ability to connect students with high-paying career opportunities.
Program-level outcomes show similar patterns of economic struggle. Biology, the institution's largest program with 42 graduates, produces median earnings of just $13,702 ten years out—well below what biology graduates typically earn at other institutions. This suggests that even in fields that normally provide decent economic returns, graduates from this institution face substantial barriers to achieving competitive salaries. The limited program diversity and small scale of most academic offerings further constrain opportunities for students to access higher-earning career paths.
The earnings challenges extend across the student body, with only 8 graduates earning more than $75,000 annually—a very small fraction of the total graduate population. This pattern suggests systemic barriers to economic advancement that affect students regardless of their chosen field of study, making financial planning and debt repayment particularly challenging for most graduates.
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo demonstrates strong affordability, particularly for low-income families seeking access to higher education. Low-income students pay a net price of just $8,370 annually, while middle-income families face costs around $11,663—both figures representing substantial affordability compared with typical four-year institutions. This pricing structure reflects the university's commitment to serving Puerto Rico's economically diverse population and ensuring that financial barriers don't prevent college access.
The institution's financial aid approach prioritizes need-based assistance, helping to keep costs manageable for the 76% of students who receive Pell Grants. Federal loan borrowing remains moderate, with typical graduates carrying about $15,500 in federal student debt and families borrowing an average of $6,085 through Parent PLUS loans. While these debt levels might seem reasonable in absolute terms, they become more concerning when viewed against the institution's low earnings outcomes, as graduates may struggle to service even modest debt loads given their limited post-graduation income potential.
Pontifical Catholic University Of Puerto Rico-Arecibo Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
