Universidad Adventista de las Antillas

With a total undergraduate enrollment of 781, the campus is small and has a distinct gender imbalance: 59.3% of students are female, while 40.7% are male. The campus itself is surprisingly large, spanning 284 acres in Mayagüez. While specific details on clubs and traditions are not provided in the sources, the institution's Adventist affiliation suggests a campus culture influenced by those religious principles. Students are encouraged to consider factors like campus culture, community, and extracurricular activities when evaluating their fit.

Graduation rates are a central challenge. Only 21% of students graduate within four years, though that figure rises to 36% within six years. Post-graduation earnings for early-career graduates are reported to be about $22,000, which one source notes is significantly lower than national expectations. Another source projects median earnings four years post-graduation at $32,761. For those who do complete their degrees, the median debt obligation is $15,750. The retention rate of 78% for first-year students indicates that a majority of students choose to return for a second year.

The university is notably affordable. The average net price—what students pay after scholarships and grants—is reported variably across sources, but the canonical figure is $9,919. Other sources cite figures like $8,354 and $8,898 for students receiving aid. The average financial aid award is around $5,306 to $6,974. Sticker tuition is listed as $7,120 to $7,920. The net price varies by family income; for example, students from families earning between $75,000 and $110,000 are projected to pay around $14,064. There is no indication in the provided sources that the university has a "no-loan" financial aid policy or that it meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans.

Universidad Adventista de las Antillas stands out for its unique combination of radical accessibility and a specific religious-vocational focus. It is not a selective institution in the traditional sense—it welcomes virtually all applicants—but it is highly specialized in practice, funneling a large portion of its students into nursing and health sciences within the framework of Seventh-day Adventist education. This creates a distinct environment: a large, 284-acre campus populated by a small, predominantly female student body working toward practical degrees. It serves as a critical, low-cost entry point into higher education and the healthcare field for many in Puerto Rico, though students must be prepared to navigate a longer path to graduation and modest early-career earnings outcomes.