Accounting at University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

The immediate concern here is stark: accounting graduates from UPR-Arecibo earn just $15,679 in their first year—landing in the 5th percentile nationally and 10th percentile even within Puerto Rico, where the median accounting graduate starts at nearly $25,000. While the 59% earnings jump to $24,870 by year four shows real improvement, fourth-year earnings still trail the Puerto Rico median and sit far below top island programs like EDP University ($31,705). The broader context matters too: Puerto Rico's economic challenges mean even the state's highest-earning accounting programs pay roughly half the U.S. national median of $53,694.

The single bright spot is debt: $5,300 represents less than four months of fourth-year income and ranks in the 5th percentile nationally for burden. UPR-Arecibo serves primarily Pell-eligible students (86%), making this low debt figure genuinely meaningful. However, debt advantage alone can't compensate for earnings this far behind peer programs on the island. The gap between this program and higher-performing Puerto Rico schools—sometimes exceeding $10,000 annually—compounds across a career.

For families committed to staying in Puerto Rico with limited resources, the minimal debt provides some insurance against worst-case scenarios. But if in-state alternatives are accessible, the data suggests looking at schools like Inter American-Metro or Universidad Ana G. Méndez, where graduates start closer to island norms while still maintaining reasonable debt levels.