Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Guayama

Something dramatic appears to happen to earnings between year one and year four for this program. While similar nursing programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $51,744, reported outcomes show graduates at Inter American-Guayama earning just $25,267 four years later. This inverted trajectory—where earnings seemingly fall by half rather than grow—is highly unusual and deserves scrutiny.

The most likely explanation is a limitation of the data itself rather than an actual career decline. The year-four figure comes from a small sample of graduates, while the year-one estimate draws from national patterns that may not reflect Puerto Rico's nursing market. Other PR nursing programs report first-year earnings around $16,236, which would be more consistent with the $25,267 four-year figure if we assume typical wage growth. This suggests the national estimate ($51,744) is misleading for this specific context—mainland nursing salaries simply don't translate to the island.

The bright spot is debt: at $5,500, this program ranks in the 95th percentile nationally for affordability, far below both the state median ($8,000) and national median ($19,404). If actual starting salaries align closer to other Puerto Rico programs ($16,000-$25,000 range), that debt load remains manageable. The uncertainty around earnings makes this a difficult call, but the low debt at least limits downside risk if your child plans to work in Puerto Rico's healthcare market.