Biological/Biosystems Engineering Degree
Students study how engineering methods solve problems in biological and agricultural systems, including bioenergy, food processing, water treatment, and ecological engineering. Graduates typically pursue careers in biotech companies, food manufacturing, environmental engineering firms, and agricultural technology companies. This interdisciplinary field applies engineering to living systems and is growing alongside the bioeconomy.
What Biological/Biosystems Engineering Graduates Do
Your degree in biological engineering places you at the intersection of living systems and technology. In an entry-level role, you might find yourself in a lab developing a process to turn agricultural waste into biofuel, at a medical device company designing and testing a new diagnostic sensor, or helping a food manufacturer optimize a fermentation process. Your days will be a mix of hands-on lab work, computer modeling, and collaborating with scientists and other engineers.
After gaining several years of technical experience, you can advance into a senior specialist role or move into management. As an engineering manager, you’ll shift from direct design work to leading project teams, managing budgets, and setting the strategic direction for new product development. For those inclined toward academia, the path to becoming a postsecondary teacher is one of the fastest-growing options, though it requires an advanced degree.
With a moderate AI exposure, these careers are evolving, not vanishing. AI will automate significant chunks of routine work, like analyzing massive datasets from experiments or running thousands of design simulations. This shift means your job will focus less on repetitive tasks and more on creative problem-solving, designing novel experiments, and making judgment calls that require a deep understanding of complex biological systems.
Common Career Paths
Where Biological/Biosystems Engineering graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 29,200 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 14,500 | +3.8% | 41% | |
| Engineers, all other | 9,300 | +2.1% | 46% | |
| Bioengineers and biomedical engineers | 1,300 | +5.2% | 59% | |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | 4,100 | +8.1% | 50% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Biological/Biosystems Engineering
8 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE |
65 63–66 |
$61,755/yr | 16.7x |
| 2 | Utah State University Logan, UT |
64 62–65 |
$52,951/yr | 18.8x |
| 3 | Auburn University Auburn, AL |
63 61–64 |
$59,050/yr | 14.0x |
| 4 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL |
63 62–64 |
$46,917/yr | 28.8x |
| 5 | University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO |
62 61–63 |
$60,190/yr | 12.7x |
| 6 | University of Georgia Athens, GA |
54 52–55 |
$62,842/yr | 13.1x |
| 7 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA |
52 50–53 |
$67,016/yr | 10.0x |
| 8 | Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI |
49 47–50 |
$57,337/yr | 8.8x |
Highest Earning Biological/Biosystems Engineering Programs
Schools where Biological/Biosystems Engineering graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| University of California-San Diego | $67,016/yr | 52 |
| University of Georgia | $62,842/yr | 54 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | $61,755/yr | 65 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia | $60,190/yr | 62 |
| Auburn University | $59,050/yr | 63 |
| Oakland University | $57,337/yr | 49 |
| Utah State University | $52,951/yr | 64 |
| University of Florida | $46,917/yr | 63 |
Best ROI for Biological/Biosystems Engineering
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Biological/Biosystems Engineering.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Florida | 28.8x | $46,917/yr | 63 |
| Utah State University | 18.8x | $52,951/yr | 64 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 16.7x | $61,755/yr | 65 |
| Auburn University | 14.0x | $59,050/yr | 63 |
| University of Georgia | 13.1x | $62,842/yr | 54 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia | 12.7x | $60,190/yr | 62 |
| University of California-San Diego | 10.0x | $67,016/yr | 52 |
| Oakland University | 8.8x | $57,337/yr | 49 |
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