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

The dramatic 145% earnings jump from $14,764 to $36,091 tells the real story here: new nursing graduates in Puerto Rico face an initial earning period that looks alarming by mainland standards but quickly improves. While this program ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally, that comparison misses crucial context—it sits squarely in the middle (40th percentile) among Puerto Rico's 40 nursing programs, where the median first-year nurse earns only slightly more at $16,742.

The manageable $5,500 debt load is one of the lowest in the country (95th percentile for affordability) and represents just 37% of first-year earnings—a ratio most nursing programs can't match. Yes, the four-year earnings of $36,091 still trail top Puerto Rico programs like Universidad del Sagrado Corazon ($36,836), but they're substantially higher than the PR median and come with significantly less debt burden than the state average of $9,250.

For families planning to work in Puerto Rico's healthcare system, where salaries operate on a completely different scale than the mainland, this represents solid value. The low debt combined with strong upward trajectory means graduates aren't trapped by loan payments while their careers gain momentum. If your child is committed to serving Puerto Rico's underserved communities (79% of students here receive Pell grants), this program offers an affordable path to a stable profession—just understand the financial reality means living on an island-based salary structure.