University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

Public · Moderately Selective · PR

Photo: Kako13 (Public Domain)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationPR

SettingUrban

Undergrads2,669

Student:faculty19:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate14.8%

6-yr grad rate52%

Drop-out rate23.9%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$5k

Out-of-state tuition$5k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity100%

Gender diversity59.3%

International0%

Identity—

Overview

The Arecibo campus of the University of Puerto Rico serves the island's northern coastal region with public, Spanish-language higher education at a cost far below mainland private alternatives, functioning as a commuter-oriented campus for students from Arecibo and the surrounding towns rather than a residential college. Nursing, business, education, and the sciences are the most established programs, reflecting its role as a regional access point into the University of Puerto Rico system.

Worth knowing

Nearly all instruction and campus life happen in Spanish, and the experience is fundamentally commuter-based — students considering it from outside Puerto Rico should expect a different campus culture than a mainland residential college, built around serving the local region rather than a national applicant pool.

upra.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate59.2%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying