Earning a degree online can also prepare you for a higher-skill job in one of Puerto Rico's diverse industries, including fields like biotechnology, renewable energy, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and IT, as well as more traditional fields like education and health care.
There are numerous online colleges in Puerto Rico. Let's take a closer look at them.
Keep reading to learn about our rankings of the top 10 colleges in Puerto Rico. You can also find out about financial aid resources that can make your online degree more affordable.
Our rankings of the best online colleges in Puerto Rico can help students to learn about the higher-education options available to them. All of the schools on this page are accredited by recognized accreditation agencies such as:
To find out why accreditation is important, see our article "What is College Accreditation?" For details regarding accreditation in Puerto Rico, visit the Consejo de Educación de Puerto Rico website.
We built these rankings on criteria carefully chosen to reflect the online college experience, such as the number of online programs offered, the ratio of students participating in distance education at that school, and the average amount of financial aid awarded to students of that school. For more information about the criteria we picked and why they are important, visit our "What Makes a Good Online College?" section of our "About Us" page.
Students considering online learning in Puerto Rico would be wise to research programs and offerings in advance, in order to help them make an informed decision on where to enroll. To help with that, we've created this list of the best online colleges in Puerto Rico, using data pulled from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS.) A brief description of a school's online programs and offerings as well as other helpful facts are included. The methodology used to compile this list is detailed at the bottom of the web page.
If you're curious about the most affordable online colleges in Puerto Rico, you've come to the right place. Here are the most affordable two-year and four-year online colleges in Puerto Rico, organized by cost of tuition and fees.
Puerto Rico does not offer any student loans at this time. Students are encouraged to seek out all available scholarships and grants since those are considered "gift aid," meaning they do not have to be repaid. Once you've exhausted all of those options, you may find that you are still in need of financial assistance. If that is the case, you can apply for federal or private loans to meet your college expenses. Keep in mind that you will need to fill out the FAFSA and supply information about your family's financial situation in order to apply for federal aid.
Learn more about student loans in the Ultimate Guide to Student Loans.
Below are some of the largest cities in Puerto Rico. These cities offer opportunities for online students who are balancing school work with working and taking care of their families. Below you can see relevant data points about each city, including the population and average rent, sourced from the 2015 American Community Survey (census.gov).
Fun Facts about San Juan
San Juan was a walled, fortified city 500 years ago, but since then it has blossomed into a major tropical vacation destination. Visitors can enjoy history as well as all the modern conveniences while enjoying the island’s long stretches of beaches.
*Career rankings determined by annual mean wage, employment, projected growth and location quotient. Data sourced from the BLS, 2019 dataset.
Fun Facts about Ponce
Ponce, the largest city outside of the San Juan area, is on the south side of the island on the portion that faces the Caribbean Sea. Like San Juan, Ponce has a carefully preserved colonial center that dates to the late 17th century. It’s a great stop for visitors who want to mix historical sightseeing with excursions to the beach or nearby mountains.