There are 147 colleges in Puerto Rico - 19 public and 128 private schools. At Puerto Rico colleges, college Cost of Attendance (COA), which factors in tuition, fees, books, housing, meals, and personal expenses, has risen steadily in the past ten years, reflecting the growing price of higher education.
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Puerto Rico colleges:
Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:
| Institution Type | 10-Year Increase (2016-2025) | 2025 Average Tuition & Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Public, In-State | 121.16% (from $2,486 to $5,498) | $5,498 |
| Public, Out-of-State | 31.60% (from $4,399 to $5,789) | $5,789 |
| Private Colleges | 44.43% (from $6,388 to $9,226) | $9,226 |
Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by 31.60%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by -6.92% over the same period.
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 61.32% when living on campus and 33.53% when living off campus at Puerto Rico Colleges.
In private Puerto Rico Colleges, the COA has increase by 62.72% (on-campus) and 37.84% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $22,994 when a student lives on campus and $21,563 when living off campus at Puerto Rico Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Puerto Rico Colleges over the past 10 years.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $12,341 | $14,254 | $16,243 | $14,235 | $16,148 | $18,137 |
| 2016-17 | $13,629 10.44% | $15,464 8.49% | $17,612 8.43% | $14,540 2.14% | $16,375 1.41% | $18,523 2.13% |
| 2017-18 | $15,328 12.47% | $17,160 10.97% | $19,607 11.33% | $15,163 4.28% | $16,995 3.79% | $19,442 4.96% |
| 2018-19 | $16,855 9.96% | $18,605 8.42% | $19,652 0.23% | $16,931 11.66% | $18,681 9.92% | $19,728 1.47% |
| 2019-20 | $17,505 3.86% | $19,325 3.87% | $20,417 3.89% | $17,420 2.89% | $19,240 2.99% | $20,332 3.06% |
| 2020-21 | $17,633 0.73% | $18,418 -4.69% | $20,232 -0.91% | $17,538 0.68% | $18,323 -4.77% | $20,137 -0.96% |
| 2021-22 | $18,399 4.34% | $18,604 1.01% | $21,048 4.03% | $18,472 5.33% | $18,677 1.93% | $21,121 4.89% |
| 2022-23 | $18,649 1.36% | $23,084 24.08% | $22,535 7.06% | $18,138 -1.81% | $22,573 20.86% | $22,024 4.28% |
| 2023-24 | $20,446 9.64% | $24,368 5.56% | $23,933 6.20% | $19,498 7.50% | $23,420 3.75% | $22,985 4.36% |
| 2024-25 | $22,703 11.04% | $22,994 -5.64% | $26,431 10.44% | $21,272 9.10% | $21,563 -7.93% | $25,000 8.77% |
For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Puerto Rico Colleges is $6,125 for Puerto Rico residents and $6,416 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $10,497.
For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $7,034 for Puerto Rico residents and $7,082 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $9,093.
The tuition & fees has increased 31.60% for undergraduate programs at Puerto Rico Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $2,486 | $4,399 | $6,388 | $4,012 | $6,325 | $5,319 |
| 2016-17 | $2,537 2.05% | $4,372 -0.61% | $6,520 2.07% | $4,053 1.02% | $6,404 1.25% | $5,688 6.94% |
| 2017-18 | $2,575 1.50% | $4,407 0.80% | $6,854 5.12% | $4,131 1.92% | $6,538 2.09% | $6,286 10.51% |
| 2018-19 | $4,080 58.45% | $5,830 32.29% | $6,877 0.34% | $4,367 5.71% | $7,164 9.57% | $6,953 10.61% |
| 2019-20 | $4,369 7.08% | $6,189 6.16% | $7,281 5.87% | $6,833 56.47% | $10,335 44.26% | $7,444 7.06% |
| 2020-21 | $4,412 0.98% | $5,197 -16.03% | $7,011 -3.71% | $5,123 -25.03% | $6,060 -41.36% | $7,426 -0.24% |
| 2021-22 | $5,052 14.51% | $5,257 1.15% | $7,701 9.84% | $5,356 4.55% | $5,356 -11.62% | $7,344 -1.10% |
| 2022-23 | $4,304 -14.81% | $8,739 66.24% | $8,190 6.35% | - -100.00% | $6,313 17.87% | $7,100 -3.32% |
| 2023-24 | $4,902 13.89% | $8,824 0.97% | $8,389 2.43% | - | $5,932 -6.04% | $7,238 1.94% |
| 2024-25 | $5,498 12.16% | $5,789 -34.39% | $9,226 9.98% | $5,839 | $5,887 -0.76% | $7,738 6.91% |
For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $2,148 for Puerto Rico Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,324 |
| 2016-17 | $1,368 3.32% |
| 2017-18 | $1,503 9.87% |
| 2018-19 | $1,441 -4.13% |
| 2019-20 | $1,369 -5.00% |
| 2020-21 | $1,522 11.18% |
| 2021-22 | $1,571 3.22% |
| 2022-23 | $1,518 -3.37% |
| 2023-24 | $1,926 26.88% |
| 2024-25 | $2,148 11.53% |
For Puerto Rico Colleges, the living have increased 27.30% when a student lives on campus facilities and 16.76% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $8,531 | $8,684 |
| 2016-17 | $9,724 20.52% | $9,872 1.43% |
| 2017-18 | $11,250 11.26% | $10,618 5.88% |
| 2018-19 | $11,334 -1.99% | $10,796 0.09% |
| 2019-20 | $11,767 3.19% | $11,249 0.52% |
| 2020-21 | $11,699 -7.36% | $10,658 -0.15% |
| 2021-22 | $11,776 -2.62% | $10,606 1.64% |
| 2022-23 | $12,827 14.24% | $11,682 3.99% |
| 2023-24 | $13,618 3.12% | $11,820 5.58% |
| 2024-25 | $15,057 12.03% | $13,158 6.28% |