About Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Mercedita, Puerto Rico. It enrolls 2,404 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
73/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes28
Value60
Affordability97
Selectivity92
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 33.7%, Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is a selective institution.
Acceptance Rate
33.7%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
37.6 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $9,026 per year. That's well below the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$9,026
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
80%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
17%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$5,780
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,498
Books & Supplies
$2,460
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,433
Total Cost of Attendance
$16,065
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$8,685
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,595
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,557
$75,001 – $110,000
$13,540
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,30010%percentile
$2,00025%percentile
$6,375Medianpercentile
$5,50075%percentile
$7,75090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $4,750
↓ $1,625
No Pell $5,750
↓ $625
Dependent students $4,500
↓ $1,875
Independent students $5,500
↓ $875
Female students $5,250
↓ $1,125
Male students $4,500
↓ $1,875
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $3,550, less than completers ($6,375), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
31% of full-time students who enrolled at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
31%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce earn a median of $26,721 ten years after first enrolling. That's below the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$26,721
Earning > $25K
44%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
What this means:
Moderate return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$3.0 of median earnings 10 years out. Compare carefully against your funding plan.
Who Studies Here
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is home to 2,404 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 34% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
2,404
Part-Time
18%
First-Generation
34%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 99.6%2,394
White 0.3%6
Other 0.2%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Rural: FringeMercedita, Puerto Rico
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
26%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
44 distinct programs across
11 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is 22:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
22:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$50,071
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
73 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
13
18%
$64,135
Associate Professors
23
32%
$53,850
Assistant Professors
33
45%
$43,848
Instructors
4
5%
$33,964
Pros & Cons of Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Below-average post-graduation earnings
Best for:
Based on the data, Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is a fit for
families focused on keeping net cost low.
Frequently Asked Questions about Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce.
Is Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce hard to get into?
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 33.7%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce has an acceptance rate of 33.7%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce cost?
The average net price after aid at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is $9,026 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $26,721 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $9,026 per year. That's roughly 3.0x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce known for?
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is best known for its programs in Culinary Arts, Psychology, Criminal Justice. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce are $26,721, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce accredited?
Yes. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce enrolls 2,404 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce graduates 31% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce a public or private college?
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce located?
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is located in Mercedita, Puerto Rico.
What programs does Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce offer?
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce offers 44 distinct programs. The most popular include Culinary Arts, Psychology, Criminal Justice.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is 22:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Puerto Rico
Other colleges in Puerto Rico share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Rankings That Feature Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
Most Affordable Personal Services Colleges
The most affordable colleges for Personal Services, ranked by net price with earnings and outcomes shown.
$4,904 Lowest Net
$15,222 Avg Net
88 UCD Score
$60,327 Top Earn
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.