Head-to-head comparison
Advantage Technical College vs Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo: which has better ROI?
Option A San Juan, PR
Advantage Technical College
- Net price / year
- $6,558
- Earnings, 10 years
- $26,905
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Arecibo, PR
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
- Net price / year
- $11,117
- Earnings, 10 years
- $24,908
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Advantage Technical College comes closer — median earnings $26,905 against a $26,232 total, vs $24,908 at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Advantage Technical College | Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,558 | $11,117 |
| Total net cost | $26,232 | $44,468 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $26,905 | $24,908 |
| Median debt | — | $15,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$455,332 | -$513,508 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Advantage Technical College or Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo?
Advantage Technical College, at $6,558 a year after aid versus $11,117 — a gap of $4,559 a year, or $18,236 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Advantage Technical College or Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo graduates earn more?
Advantage Technical College graduates report a median $26,905 ten years after entry, $1,997 more than the $24,908 at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
59% of students finish at Advantage Technical College, against 54% at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.