How much debt do UPR Rio Piedras biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $5,500, which ranks the lowest of 10 biology bachelor's programs in Puerto Rico. That works out to about $58 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from UPR Rio Piedras worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 46% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Puerto Rico programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

UPR Rio Piedras Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do UPR Rio Piedras biology graduates stay in Puerto Rico?

Most do. 58% (23 of 40) were working in Puerto Rico one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Public university
San Juan, PR
About 231 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UPR Rio Piedras biology graduates earn less than graduates of most biology programs nationally, $11,923 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $5,500 in federal loans, less than at 99% of biology programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Puerto Rico median of $15,765.

First-year earnings$11,923Bottom 1% of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$42,562257% more than year one

Median federal debt$5,500The lowest of 10 Puerto Rico programs

Debt-to-earnings46%Puerto Rico median 56%, national 75%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Puerto Rico and national columns are the medians across all biology bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	UPR Rio Piedras	Puerto Rico	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$11,923	$15,765	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$42,562	$33,828	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$5,500	$8,625	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	46%	56%	75%
Programs compared		11	795

Five years out, UPR Rio Piedras graduates earn less than the national figure but about $8,734 more than the Puerto Rico median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Puerto Rico biology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Puerto Rico medians.

UPR Rio PiedrasOther Puerto Rico programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 257% between the first and fifth year.

UPR Rio Piedras grads, year 1$11,923

UPR Rio Piedras grads, year 5$42,562

All Puerto Rico biology grads, year 5$33,828

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $58 a month, or 5.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

58% of graduates (23 of 40) were working in Puerto Rico one year after graduating.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to biology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$59,100

Median pay in Puerto Rico. 5,640 people work in this job in Puerto Rico. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $39,150Top 10%: $73,410

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$49,650

Median pay in Puerto Rico. 80 people work in this job in Puerto Rico. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.

Bottom 10%: $32,990Top 10%: $127,180

Natural Sciences Managers

$119,430

Median pay in Puerto Rico. 90 people work in this job in Puerto Rico. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $64,320Top 10%: $175,760

Biological Technicians

$46,630

Median pay in Puerto Rico. 670 people work in this job in Puerto Rico. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $31,200Top 10%: $64,140

About UPR Rio Piedras

Tuition and fees	$5,354 / year
Average net price after aid	$9,175 / year
Admission rate	55%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	50%
Undergraduate students	8,572

Biology ranks 5th of 10 bachelor's programs at UPR Rio Piedras by first-year earnings. The top three are Finance ($61,729), Management Information Systems ($43,665), and Accounting ($27,883).

Other biology bachelor's programs near San Juan

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UPR Rio PiedrasSan Juan, PR · public		$11,923	$5,500
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-MetroSan Juan, PR · private nonprofit	3 mi	$13,624	$11,000
University of Puerto RicoBayamon, PR · public	7 mi	$22,338	$5,500
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-BayamonBayamon, PR · private nonprofit	9 mi	$16,945	$8,250
University of Puerto Rico at CayeyCayey, PR · public	21 mi	$17,638	$5,500
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-PoncePonce, PR · private nonprofit	46 mi	$17,632	$18,500
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-AreciboArecibo, PR · private nonprofit	47 mi	$15,569	$10,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $11,923 one year after graduating and $42,562 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in Puerto Rico is $15,765.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Puerto Rico comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the biology program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Biology bachelor's programs in Puerto Rico, ranked11 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All UPR Rio Piedras programs, ranked10 programs by pay and debt