Business Administration, Management and Operations at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce

This program's $18,225 starting salary sits just below Puerto Rico's median for business degrees ($18,731), but the gap with mainland institutions is severe—graduates earn 60% less than the national median. While the relatively low $14,357 debt load keeps the immediate burden manageable, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79 is still concerning when starting salaries barely exceed $18,000. Most troubling: this program ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally, meaning 95% of similar business programs produce better earnings outcomes.

The modest 23% earnings growth to $22,471 by year four helps, but even that improved figure remains far behind Puerto Rico's top performers—University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez business graduates start at $38,000, more than double this program's outcomes. With 81% of students receiving Pell grants, most families here are counting on college to improve economic mobility, and these numbers don't suggest that's happening effectively.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means individual circumstances could be skewing results, but the institutional context—a 90% admission rate serving predominantly low-income students—suggests limited resources that may translate to weaker career placement support. For families investing in a business degree, even within Puerto Rico's more constrained economy, stronger alternatives exist that could dramatically improve post-graduation prospects.