Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

The $12,947 first-year earnings look alarming until you understand Puerto Rico's healthcare market—this is actually 25th percentile performance among the territory's nursing programs, where the median stands at $16,742. More importantly, earnings nearly triple to $32,725 by year four, suggesting graduates start in lower-paying clinical roles before transitioning to better positions. While this still falls far short of the $74,888 national nursing median, comparing mainland and Puerto Rico healthcare salaries is essentially comparing different economies.

The program's real advantage is its $4,500 debt load, dramatically lower than both the national ($27,000) and Puerto Rico ($9,250) medians. For the 86% of students here receiving Pell grants, this matters enormously—you're looking at manageable debt even if initial earnings disappoint. However, the gap between this program and Puerto Rico's top performers is substantial: Universidad del Sagrado Corazon graduates earn $36,836 four years out, more than $4,000 above even the territory median.

If your child plans to practice nursing in Puerto Rico long-term, this represents an affordable path to licensure with minimal debt risk. But if mainland opportunities are the goal, understand that catching up to national salary levels would likely require relocation and possibly additional credentials. The low debt buys flexibility, but this program trails even within Puerto Rico's already-constrained nursing market.