University of Puerto Rico-Carolina is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Carolina, Puerto Rico. It enrolls 2,404 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarQuarter
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
61/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes26
Value36
Affordability91
Selectivity41
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
University of Puerto Rico-Carolina admits 54.5% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
54.5%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
809 – 1057
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Puerto Rico-Carolina is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
14.1 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $12,945 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$7,986
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,613
Books & Supplies
$2,793
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,154
Total Cost of Attendance
$19,396
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
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
$12,287
$30,001 – $48,000
$13,001
$48,001 – $75,000
$15,267
$75,001 – $110,000
$16,900
Over $110,000
$18,229
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.
$1,83410%percentile
$3,00025%percentile
$5,500Medianpercentile
$5,50075%percentile
$9,91690%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 $4,500
↓ $1,000
No Pell $3,500
↓ $2,000
Dependent students $4,500
↓ $1,000
Independent students $4,500
↓ $1,000
Female students $4,500
↓ $1,000
Male students $4,500
↓ $1,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,500, close to what completers borrow ($5,500) but without the degree to show for it.
Graduation Rate & Retention
17% of students who start here finish within six years, and 74% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
17%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
74%
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
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $30,626 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$30,626
Earning > $25K
51%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Stable ↓
2.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 68% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,404 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
2,404
Part-Time
16%
First-Generation
18%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 96.3%2,314
Black 2.9%70
Other 0.8%18
White 0.1%2
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Puerto Rico-Carolina. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Puerto Rico-Carolina offers
a varied set of programs:
15 distinct programs across
8 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.
There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,047
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$67,853
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
96 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
25
26%
$83,291
Associate Professors
19
20%
$72,708
Assistant Professors
32
33%
$64,613
Instructors
20
21%
$42,454
Pros & Cons of University of Puerto Rico-Carolina
No college is right for everyone. Here is where University of Puerto Rico-Carolina is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Below-average post-graduation earnings
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Frequently Asked Questions about University of Puerto Rico-Carolina
The questions families ask most about University of Puerto Rico-Carolina, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is University of Puerto Rico-Carolina hard to get into?
Admissions at University of Puerto Rico-Carolina are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 54.5%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Puerto Rico-Carolina?
54.5% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for University of Puerto Rico-Carolina?
Aim for 1057 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 809 and 1057 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does University of Puerto Rico-Carolina cost?
Budget around $12,945 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Puerto Rico-Carolina worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $30,626 a year against a net price of $12,945, about 2.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of Puerto Rico-Carolina known for?
Mostly Hospitality Management, Counseling Psychology, Criminal Justice. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do University of Puerto Rico-Carolina graduates earn?
About $30,626 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Puerto Rico-Carolina accredited?
Yes. University of Puerto Rico-Carolina is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend University of Puerto Rico-Carolina?
2,404 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at University of Puerto Rico-Carolina?
17% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is University of Puerto Rico-Carolina a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is University of Puerto Rico-Carolina located?
University of Puerto Rico-Carolina is located in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
What programs does University of Puerto Rico-Carolina offer?
15 different programs, most commonly Hospitality Management, Counseling Psychology, Criminal Justice. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of Puerto Rico-Carolina?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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