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Biomedical Engineering

Students study how engineering principles apply to healthcare, including medical device design, prosthetics, imaging systems, biomechanics, and tissue engineering. Graduates typically pursue careers at medical device companies like Medtronic and Stryker, hospitals, pharmaceutical firms, and biotech startups. Biomedical engineering is one of the fastest-growing engineering fields, driven by aging populations and healthcare innovation.

Compare Schools

Schools

119

Programs analyzed

Earnings

$63,751

Avg 1-yr grad earnings

Range $30,778–$93,310

Outlook

59/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

AI Risk

High

55% task exposure

Field Overview

What Biomedical Engineering graduates do

With a biomedical engineering degree, you’ll likely start your career in a lab or office, designing and testing life-saving technology. Your days will involve using CAD software to model a new prosthetic limb, running experiments on biomaterials, or analyzing data from clinical trials for a diagnostic device. As you gain experience, you can advance into an engineering manager role. Here, your focus shifts from hands-on design to overseeing project budgets, coordinating with regulatory bodies, and leading teams of engineers. Alternatively, the path into academia as a postsecondary teacher is growing quickly, involving teaching, running a research lab, and mentoring students.

AI will significantly change the daily work in these fields. With moderate exposure, routine tasks like initial data analysis or drafting device schematics will be increasingly automated. This doesn't eliminate the need for your expertise; it shifts it. Your value will come from validating AI-generated designs, solving complex problems the AI can't, and making critical judgments that require human insight. Adaptability is essential.

You may also want to evaluate Biomedical Engineering against Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Agricultural Engineering on salary and long-run job outlook.

Career Trajectories

Where Biomedical Engineering graduates work

Common career paths for Biomedical Engineering graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 19,900 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role	Median Pay	Annual Openings	10-yr Growth	AI Exposure
Architectural and engineering managers	$167,740 $135K–$207K	14,500	+3.8%	Moderate · 41%
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers	$106,950 $87K–$134K	1,300	+5.2%	High · 59%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary	$106,120 $80K–$136K	4,100	+8.1%	High · 50%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Top Institutions

Best schools for Biomedical Engineering

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 119.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 74

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$81,186 1-yr earnings

24.1x ROI multiple

High AI risk

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA · #2

$74,562/yr · 20.9x ROI

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC · #3

$74,016/yr · 26.9x ROI

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · #4

$74,094/yr · 20.1x ROI

#	School	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	ROI
5	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN · Public	71	$72,749	22.2x
6	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT · Public	71	$68,783	25.1x
7	Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL · Public	70	$62,972	34.5x
8	Florida International University Miami, FL · Public	70	$62,254	34.7x
9	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN · Public	69	$71,852	19.2x
10	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL · Public	69	$71,485	15.1x
11	University of California-Davis Davis, CA · Public	69	$68,419	16.3x
12	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA · Public	69	$67,170	18.2x
13	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA · Public	69	$65,045	18.4x
14	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public	68	$63,249	18.3x
15	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public	68	$57,874	19.8x
16	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY · Public	68	$55,974	22.2x
17	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN · Public	67	$76,184	13.3x
18	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public	67	$73,348	14.0x
19	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public	67	$72,166	14.7x
20	University of Toledo Toledo, OH · Public	67	$69,711	16.0x
21	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ · Public	67	$60,828	17.4x
22	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public	67	$58,144	19.4x
23	CUNY City College New York, NY · Public	67	$56,711	26.1x
24	University of Delaware Newark, DE · Public	66	$71,980	13.2x
25	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI · Public	66	$68,410	13.2x
26	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	66	$65,469	15.9x
27	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA · Public	66	$61,342	15.3x
28	Binghamton University Vestal, NY · Public	66	$58,999	18.5x
29	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX · Public	66	$56,045	18.5x
30	University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA · Public	66	$55,856	15.8x
31	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT · Public	65	$66,075	12.5x
32	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT · Public	65	$66,075	12.5x
33	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT · Public	65	$66,075	12.5x
34	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT · Public	65	$66,075	12.5x
35	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Public	64	$70,307	11.4x
36	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA · Public	64	$67,627	11.0x
37	Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public	64	$65,110	12.7x
38	Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI · Public	64	$63,831	11.8x
39	University of California-Merced Merced, CA · Public	64	$57,223	14.7x
40	University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA · Public	63	$66,823	10.3x
41	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT · Public	63	$66,075	10.6x
42	New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ · Public	63	$63,449	11.4x
43	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ · Public	63	$62,097	11.7x
44	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH · Public	63	$61,226	14.0x
45	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX · Public	63	$58,916	13.2x
46	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL · Public	63	$55,011	14.1x
47	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR · Public	63	$48,134	16.9x
48	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR · Public	63	$48,134	18.2x
49	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	62	$93,310	3.6x
50	Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	62	$80,401	5.3x
51	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR · Public	62	$59,504	15.6x
52	Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO · Public	62	$56,529	10.9x
53	University of Houston Houston, TX · Public	62	$48,329	19.6x
54	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN · Public	62	$47,261	16.2x
55	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC · Public	61	$57,311	13.5x
56	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofit	60	$76,928	3.7x
57	Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA · Private nonprofit	60	$73,710	4.0x
58	Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH · Public	60	$45,570	17.9x
59	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit	59	$80,508	3.1x
60	Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA · Private nonprofit	59	$78,283	3.3x
61	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY · Private nonprofit	59	$74,427	3.5x
62	Southern California Institute of Technology Anaheim, CA · Private for-profit	59	$74,115	8.1x
63	Northwestern University Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit	59	$68,592	3.9x
64	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA · Public	59	$66,090	22.6x
65	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS · Public	59	$45,483	18.2x
66	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL · Public	59	$42,570	23.2x
67	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	58	$74,860	3.3x
68	Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit	58	$72,344	3.5x
69	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit	58	$70,696	3.4x
70	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC · Public	58	$70,561	18.6x
71	George Washington University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit	58	$69,942	3.4x
72	Duke University Durham, NC · Private nonprofit	58	$69,873	3.4x
73	University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public	58	$60,524	22.7x
74	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA · Public	58	$54,133	10.6x
75	Rice University Houston, TX · Private nonprofit	57	$88,307	2.9x
76	Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH · Private nonprofit	57	$78,815	2.9x
77	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit	57	$73,526	3.7x
78	Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit	57	$72,440	3.1x
79	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA · Public	57	$44,717	14.7x
80	Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ · Private nonprofit	56	$73,454	2.9x
81	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN · Private nonprofit	56	$71,714	3.1x
82	University of Rochester Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit	56	$69,414	2.9x
83	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit	56	$63,402	3.1x
84	Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit	55	$70,090	3.4x
85	Boston University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	55	$69,209	2.8x
86	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofit	55	$64,660	3.0x
87	University of Memphis Memphis, TN · Public	55	$62,454	14.1x
88	Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA · Public	55	$62,384	14.4x
89	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX · Public	55	$60,705	15.9x
90	North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC · Public	55	$52,948	18.6x
91	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY · Public	55	$39,035	20.8x
92	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH · Public	53	$76,755	9.0x
93	Rowan University Glassboro, NJ · Public	52	$67,609	9.8x
94	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL · Private nonprofit	52	$67,064	2.6x
95	George Mason University Fairfax, VA · Public	52	$63,981	10.6x
96	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO · Public	52	$55,550	12.9x
97	University of Maine Orono, ME · Public	51	$59,864	10.9x
98	Wichita State University Wichita, KS · Public	51	$51,636	12.8x
99	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA · Public	50	$60,237	8.9x
100	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public	50	$57,062	10.3x
101	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL · Public	49	$54,047	9.6x
102	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · Public	49	$50,472	11.6x
103	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH · Public	48	$58,914	7.3x
104	University of the Pacific Stockton, CA · Private nonprofit	47	$77,099	2.5x
105	Trine University Angola, IN · Private nonprofit	47	$67,702	3.8x
106	Brown University Providence, RI · Private nonprofit	45	$74,180	1.7x
107	Widener University Chester, PA · Private nonprofit	45	$68,762	2.2x
108	Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI · Private nonprofit	45	$64,298	2.8x
109	Temple University Philadelphia, PA · Public	45	$54,415	5.2x
110	Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	44	$48,572	2.5x
111	Washington State University Pullman, WA · Public	44	$30,778	17.4x
112	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Private nonprofit	43	$62,895	1.3x
113	Union College Schenectady, NY · Private nonprofit	43	$62,624	1.4x
114	Western New England University Springfield, MA · Private nonprofit	43	$58,437	2.1x
115	Cornell University Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit	42	$61,397	1.3x
116	Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit	40	$56,932	1.8x
117	Stanford University Stanford, CA · Private nonprofit	39	$50,487	1.0x
118	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX · Public	39	$41,773	7.9x
119	University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI · Public	33	$38,593	5.5x

Compare 119 Biomedical Engineering programs side by side in our full ranking →

Highest Earnings Top 5

University of Pennsylvania PA	$93,310
Rice University TX	$88,307
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA	$81,186
University of Southern California CA	$80,508
Wentworth Institute of Technology MA	$80,401

Best ROI Top 5

Florida International University FL	34.7x
Florida Gulf Coast University FL	34.5x
North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC	26.9x
CUNY City College NY	26.1x
University of Utah UT	25.1x

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Biomedical Engineering.

Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering Civil Engineering Chemical Engineering Computer Engineering Industrial Engineering Aerospace Engineering Environmental Engineering Materials Engineering Agricultural Engineering Nuclear Engineering Engineering Studies

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Biomedical Engineering offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Biomedical Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

FAQ

Frequently asked about Biomedical Engineering

How much do Biomedical Engineering graduates earn?

First-year earnings for Biomedical Engineering graduates average $63,751 annually, based on data from 119 programs. The range spans $30,778 at the low end to $93,310 at the top.

How exposed is Biomedical Engineering to AI disruption?

Our analysis classifies Biomedical Engineering as "High" for AI risk — approximately 55% of typical job tasks overlap with current AI capabilities. That puts most of the daily work in the automation-sensitive category.

What's the top-ranked school for Biomedical Engineering?

Our data ranks California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo first among 119 Biomedical Engineering programs. Its score of 74/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($81,186/yr), return on investment, and career durability.

What's the ROI on a Biomedical Engineering degree?

On average, Biomedical Engineering graduates earn 11.7x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.