Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Huertas College

The earnings figure here—$16,715 one year after graduation—reflects Puerto Rico's dramatically different economic landscape rather than a fundamentally flawed program. This sits right at the state median for nursing programs, meaning Huertas is performing typically for the island, but the gulf between Puerto Rico's healthcare wages and the mainland's $74,888 national median is stark. Among PR's 40 nursing programs, Huertas lands in the middle of the pack, with several schools achieving earnings above $28,000, suggesting better opportunities exist even within the territory.

The relatively low debt load of $6,500 does soften the picture—it's substantially below both the PR median ($9,250) and certainly the national figure ($27,000). The 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio looks reasonable on paper, but that's only because both numbers are low. For families considering mainland alternatives, understand that PR nursing graduates face a difficult choice: accept island wages or relocate to capture earnings that could be 4-5 times higher, though possibly with more debt.

If your child plans to build a nursing career in Puerto Rico and wants to minimize debt, Huertas accomplishes that basic goal while serving a predominantly Pell-eligible student body. But if higher earning potential matters—whether on the island or mainland—examine the top PR performers first, particularly Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, which demonstrates that significantly better outcomes are possible within Puerto Rico's market.