Private nonprofit · University
Caribbean University-Vega Baja
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico · Large suburb
- —
- Admit rate
- $5,235
- Avg net price
- 50%
- Graduation rate
- $22,842
- Median earnings
Caribbean University-Vega Baja is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico (large suburb setting), enrolling 152 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
About Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
Vega Baja is a town and municipality located on the coast of north central Puerto Rico. Evidence of indigenous settlement in Vega Baja date to as far as 2580 BCE. At the time of the Spanish arrival to Puerto Rico during the 16th century, local tribes in the area were led by Sebuco, a cacique or Taíno chief of the region after whom the Cibuco River is named. Vega Baja celebrates its patron saint festival in October. The Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Virgen del Rosario is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 20 miles to San Juan, PR
- To the ocean
- 3 miles
How Caribbean University-Vega Baja compares
Higher than 40% · #9 of 37 in Puerto Rico
Higher than 20%
Higher than 1% · #32 of 37 in Puerto Rico
Cheaper than 98% · #5 cheapest of 37 in Puerto Rico
Lower than 97%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 11%
Percentiles compare Caribbean University-Vega Baja with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Puerto Rico.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate15288%
- Graduate2112%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women8455%
- Men6845%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- Hispanic100%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 152
- Graduate enrollment
- 21
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 76%
- First-generation students
- 50%
- Students over 25
- 53%
- Median family income
- $0
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $19,665
- Endowment
- $18,974
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $8,844
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $2,250
- Total cost of attendance
- $9,936
- Average net price
- $5,235
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 50%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 11%
- First-year retention
- 65%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $18,349
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $22,842
- Median debt at graduation
- $10,500
- Students with federal loans
- 22%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 25%
About 39% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $30
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$5,235/year × about 5.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 18% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $227. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 28 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $22,842
- Typical debt at graduation
- $10,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 46%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 18%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $11,026 (59%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 87°F
- Winter low
- 65°F
- Annual rain
- 61.9″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Manati 2 E, PR RQ station (4.2 mi from campus).
What Caribbean University-Vega Baja graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Caribbean University-Vega Baja
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Caribbean University-Vega Baja side by side →
Caribbean University-Carolina
Carolina, Puerto Rico · Large suburb · 11 mi to San Juan
- Students
- 99
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $6k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $23k
Caribbean University-Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico · Midsize city · 45 mi to San Juan
- Students
- 414
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $5k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $23k
Dewey University-Hato Rey
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico · Large city · 5 mi to San Juan
- Students
- 244
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $4k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $20k
Universidad Teologica del Caribe
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico · Large suburb · 9 mi to San Juan
- Students
- 173
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $9k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $24k
Universidad Central de Bayamon
Bayamón, Puerto Rico · Midsize city · 7 mi to San Juan
- Students
- 539
- Admission
- 66%
- Net price
- $5k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $25k
Yeshiva Karlin Stolin
Brooklyn, New York · Large city · 6 mi to New York
- Students
- 139
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $6k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- —
Colleges near Caribbean University-Vega Baja
Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico-Recinto de Manati
Manati, PR · Public · Associate · 323 students
Dewey University-Manati
Manati, PR · Private nonprofit · Associate · 221 students
Atenas University
Manati, PR · Private nonprofit · Associate · 597 students
EDP University of Puerto Rico-Manati
Manati, PR · Private nonprofit · Associate · 468 students
ICPR Junior College
Manati, PR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 424 students
Advantage Technical College
Manati, PR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 584 students
Automeca Technical College-Bayamon
Bayamon, PR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 482 students
Universidad Central de Bayamon
Bayamón, PR · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 539 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.











