Design and Applied Arts at EDP University of Puerto Rico Inc-San Juan

The stark reality here: graduates earn just $12,994 in their first year—less than half the national median for associate degree design programs. While this program ranks in the 60th percentile for Puerto Rico, that comparison offers little comfort when the entire state's earnings for this field lag dramatically behind the mainland. You're looking at near-poverty wages regardless of where you rank locally.

The debt picture adds another layer of concern. At $7,900, it's lower than the national median, but still represents 61% of first-year earnings. More troubling: this debt level sits in the 95th percentile nationally, meaning 95% of similar programs nationwide saddle students with less debt. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly, but the pattern across multiple EDP campuses showing identical earnings suggests this isn't a data anomaly—it reflects actual market conditions for design graduates in Puerto Rico.

For a field that typically leads to creative careers, these economics are brutal. Unless your child has specific ties to Puerto Rico's market or plans to quickly leverage this degree into higher-paying work, the investment doesn't pencil out. The opportunity cost of two years and nearly $8,000 in debt for sub-$13,000 annual earnings deserves serious scrutiny, particularly when mainland programs in this field typically yield twice the income.