Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus

Teaching in Puerto Rico's public schools comes with a harsh financial reality: this program's graduates earn barely above the island's median for teachers but carry significantly more debt. While this program ranks in the 60th percentile among Puerto Rico's 31 teacher education options, that still means starting at $21,686 and dropping to $18,826 within four years—less than half what teachers earn on the mainland. The $16,125 debt load may seem modest nationally, but it's 54% higher than the typical Puerto Rico teacher program and represents nearly a full year's starting salary.

The broader context matters here: teaching is a profession where Puerto Rico wages lag dramatically behind the mainland (where teachers in this field average $42,000). Three other Ana G. Mendez campuses produce better-earning teaching graduates, with the Gurabo and Carolina locations delivering 26-39% higher four-year earnings. For a family considering an education degree, those sister campuses appear to offer better outcomes with the same institutional resources and likely similar costs.

This program serves a predominantly Pell-eligible population (69%) and produces certified teachers for communities that need them. But financially, graduates face declining earnings and above-average debt for the local market. If teaching in Puerto Rico is the goal, look closely at why other Ana G. Mendez locations and Inter American-Arecibo deliver substantially better four-year outcomes for their education graduates.