Automeca Technical College-Ponce
Ponce, PR 00731
About Automeca Technical College-Ponce
Automeca Technical College-Ponce is a private for-profit trade school in Ponce, Puerto Rico, enrolling about 310 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. Typical net price after grant aid is about $4,834 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $9,095. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $24,632 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Automeca Technical College-Ponce charges about 0.5× the national private for-profit median tuition ($9,095).
- Versus the Puerto Rico median, sticker tuition is 6% above.
- Average net price runs below the Puerto Rico median net price.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 73.33%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $24,632.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Automeca Technical College-Ponce is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 1174% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automeca Technical College-Ponce | $9,095 | $4,834 | 1 |
| Private For-profit (national median) | $16,637 | — | 477 |
| Puerto Rico (state median) | $8,562 | $8,830 | 104 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 47% below published tuition at Automeca Technical College-Ponce
Key findings
- Automeca Technical College-Ponce's average net price ($4,834) is 47% below published tuition ($9,095).
- Automeca Technical College-Ponce charges about 0.5× the national private for-profit median tuition ($9,095).
- Versus the Puerto Rico median, sticker tuition is 6% above.
- Average net price runs below the Puerto Rico median net price.
Automeca Technical College-Ponce tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $9,095
Finding Automeca Technical College-Ponce charges about 0.5× the national private for-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $9,095. That is about 0.5× the national private for-profit median ($16,637). Versus the Puerto Rico median ($8,562), sticker tuition is 6% above. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 24% below.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private for-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Automeca Technical College-Ponce versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Automeca Technical College-Ponce versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Automeca Technical College-Ponce is $4,834.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $4,834 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $3,996 below the Puerto Rico median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $13,214 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Automeca Technical College-Ponce’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 47% lower after grants and scholarships.
Automeca Technical College-Ponce: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Automeca Technical College-Ponce—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$9,095
Avg. net price
$4,834
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $4,564 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $5,063 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $8,367 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $36,380. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Automeca Technical College-Ponce is known for
Top program completions
- Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician88
- Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician69
- Metal Fabricator64
- Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other28
- Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician19
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Automeca Technical College-Ponce a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Automeca Technical College-Ponce is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Automeca Technical College-Ponce.
Campus
Location
Ponce, PR
City / state
- ZIP
- 00731
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is about 0.3× the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Private For-profit
Control
- Region
- Outlying Areas
Size
Enrollment
310
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 547
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$3,030
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 96.48%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Automeca Technical College-Ponce.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Automeca Technical College-Ponce was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Automeca Technical College-Ponce in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $7,256 | $7,256 | $5,305 |
| 2014 | $7,256 | $7,256 | $5,456 |
| 2015 | $7,356 | $7,356 | $5,853 |
| 2016 | $7,441 | $7,441 | $6,400 |
| 2017 | $7,441 | $7,441 | $6,601 |
| 2018 | $7,501 | $7,501 | $3,888 |
| 2019 | $7,601 | $7,601 | $2,771 |
| 2020 | $7,695 | $7,695 | $5,039 |
| 2021 | $7,895 | $7,895 | $4,348 |
| 2022 | $8,295 | $8,295 | $2,684 |
| 2023 | $8,895 | $8,895 | $2,583 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Automeca Technical College-Ponce reported total enrollment of about 310 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 93% male and 7% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Hispanic or Latino (100.0%), White (0.0%), and Black or African American (0.0%). About 96.48% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 46.7% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
100.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Automeca Technical College-Ponce in 2024 is 310 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 547 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
87.4%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
70.00% 100% Completion Time
73.33% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 70.00% of students graduating from Automeca Technical College-Ponce completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician: 92% male / 8% female
- Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician: 97% male / 3% female
- Metal Fabricator: 92% male / 8% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Automeca Technical College-Ponce graduates earn a median of $24,632 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Automeca Technical College-Ponce.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $24,632. Median federal loan debt: $3,030. Average net price used in cost models: $4,834.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Automeca Technical College-Ponce graduates report median earnings of $24,632 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Automeca Technical College-Ponce.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 9 programs by IPEDS completions (10 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Automeca Technical College-Ponce.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Automeca Technical College-Ponce graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Automeca Technical College-Ponce—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $1,621
- Puerto Rico median 0.47× the median ($3,469)
- Outlying Areas median 0.46× the median ($3,501)
- U.S. median 0.22× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Automeca Technical College-Ponce at a glance
Automeca Technical College-Ponce
Automeca Technical College-Ponce is a private for-profit institution in Ponce, PR.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/TechnicianAutobody/Collision and Repair Technology/TechnicianMetal Fabricator
- Largest enrollment groups
- Hispanic or Latino100.0%White or Caucasian0.0%Black or African American0.0%
Schools near Automeca Technical College-Ponce
Other campuses in Ponce, PR when available, plus nearby institutions in Puerto Rico.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C-) within Puerto Rico, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Automeca Technical College-Ponce located?
Automeca Technical College-Ponce is located in Ponce, PR.
What is Automeca Technical College-Ponce's tuition?
Automeca Technical College-Ponce tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $9,095 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $4,834 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Automeca Technical College-Ponce cost?
Reported tuition is $9,095 and average net price is $4,834 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $6,500 annually.
Why is Automeca Technical College-Ponce's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Automeca Technical College-Ponce, published tuition is $9,095 while average net price is $4,834—about 47% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Automeca Technical College-Ponce's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($4,834), completion (73.3% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($24,632). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Automeca Technical College-Ponce?
Automeca Technical College-Ponce reports undergraduate enrollment of about 547 students, Hispanic or Latino (100.0%), White (0.0%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Automeca Technical College-Ponce?
About 46.7% of students at Automeca Technical College-Ponce are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Automeca Technical College-Ponce earn?
Median earnings are $21,983 six years after entry and $24,632 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Automeca Technical College-Ponce?
The 150%-time completion rate is 73.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Automeca Technical College-Ponce students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $3,030.
Is Automeca Technical College-Ponce public or private?
Automeca Technical College-Ponce is a private for-profit institution located in Ponce, PR.
Is Automeca Technical College-Ponce an HBCU?
No. Automeca Technical College-Ponce is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
- Puerto Rico college profile
- Puerto Rico college costs
- Puerto Rico colleges by ROI
- Puerto Rico trade schools profile
- Ponce, Puerto Rico city profile
- Outlying Areas regional profile
- Suburban college profile
- Campus-setting profiles
- All state profiles
- Regional profiles
- National benchmarks
- School directory
- All schools in Puerto Rico
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.