Public Graduate Strong 80/100

University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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San Juan, Puerto Rico

About University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras

Thinking about University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, a college in Puerto Rico where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It enrolls 8,572 students (a large 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.

Acceptance
54.6%
Graduation
48.5%
Net Price
$9,175
Median Earnings (10yr)
$35,723
Enrollment
8,572
Student : Faculty
12:1

Accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar Semester

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.

Strong
80/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 46
Value 82
Affordability 94
Selectivity 80

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras admits 54.6% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
54.6%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants 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 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 4.4 pts since 2019
48.8%201948.7%202050.3%202151.6%202253.2%2023

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 $9,175 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$9,175
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
66%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
5%
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
$5,354
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,613
Books & Supplies
$4,168
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,154
Total Cost of Attendance
$15,118

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
    $8,018
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $8,553
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,002
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $11,925
  • Over $110,000
    $13,018

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.

$2,750
10% percentile
$4,316
25% percentile
$5,500
Median percentile
$8,800
75% percentile
$12,953
90% 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 $5,500 —
No Pell $5,500 —
Dependent students $5,500 —
Independent students $5,500 —
Female students $5,500 —
Male students $5,500 —
Pell recipients: 16.7% (917 students)No Pell: 16.7% (917 students)Dependent students: 16.7% (917 students)Independent students: 16.7% (917 students)Female students: 16.7% (917 students)Male students: 16.7% (917 students)Overall Median$5,500
What this means: Aid reaches a meaningful share of the student body: 66% of students receive Pell grants. If your family qualifies for Pell, the real cost to you could be substantially lower than the average.

Graduation Rate & Retention

48% of students who start here finish within six years, and 78% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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
48%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
78%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $35,723 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$35,723
Earning > $25K
59%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$20,000$25,000$29,000$33,000$38,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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.

Declining: debt management worsening over time ↓ 7.7 pts across 6 years
52.8%1yr63.8%3yr45.1%5yr
What this signals: Concerning. Only 45% of graduates are actively reducing principal even seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 8,572 students, a large student community.

Total Enrolled
8,572
Part-Time
12%
First-Generation
16%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 94.1% 8,070
Black 3.2% 271
White 0.7% 62
Other 0.7% 57
Asian 0.1% 5
Hispanic: 94.1% (8,070 students)Black: 3.2% (271 students)White: 0.7% (62 students)Other: 0.7% (57 students)Asian: 0.1% (5 students)Total8,572

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City San Juan, Puerto Rico
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
5% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Biology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras offers an extensive catalog of programs: 93 distinct programs across 23 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.

13 Programs
3 Programs
3 Programs
4 Programs
4 Programs
4 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$11,022
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.9M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$54,887
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

730 instructional faculty across 5 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 342 47% $62,735
Associate Professors 71 10% $52,498
Assistant Professors 215 29% $48,577
Instructors 81 11% $38,775
No Rank 21 3% $61,917

Pros & Cons of University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras

No college is right for everyone. Here is where University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • Low typical debt at graduation
CONS
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for: Based on the data, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low.

Frequently Asked Questions about University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras

The questions families ask most about University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras hard to get into?
Admissions at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 54.6%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras?
54.6% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras cost?
Budget around $9,175 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-Rio Piedras worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $35,723 a year against a net price of $9,175, about 3.9 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-Rio Piedras known for?
Mostly Biology, Law, Psychology. 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-Rio Piedras graduates earn?
About $35,723 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-Rio Piedras accredited?
Yes. University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras?
8,572 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-Rio Piedras?
48% 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-Rio Piedras 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-Rio Piedras located?
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
What programs does University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras offer?
93 different programs, most commonly Biology, Law, Psychology. 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-Rio Piedras?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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