Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Universidad Central de Bayamon

The $12,591 starting salary here sits at just the 5th percentile nationally for nursing programs, but context matters: Puerto Rico's nursing market pays dramatically less than the mainland, with a median of $16,742 versus $74,888 nationally. Even accounting for that reality, this program underperforms—it ranks in only the 25th percentile among PR nursing schools and trails the top in-state option (Universidad del Sagrado Corazon at $36,836) by nearly $25,000.

The unusual 97% earnings jump from year one to year four suggests graduates may start in part-time roles or take time to secure proper licensure. While that catch-up is encouraging, fourth-year earnings of $24,804 still leave graduates earning roughly half what other Puerto Rico nursing programs achieve. The $12,125 in debt is actually higher than the PR median of $9,250, creating an unfavorable debt-to-earnings ratio that takes nearly a full year's initial salary to repay.

For families considering this program: the outcome data suggests significant employment barriers early on, even by Puerto Rico standards. If your child is committed to nursing and staying on the island, programs like Sagrado Corazon or Ana G. Mendez deliver substantially better returns for similar or lower debt loads.