Home Schools Auburn University Biological Engineering
Engineering · Biological Engineering Rank #3 of 8

Biological Engineeringat Auburn University

Graduates earn $59,050/yr in their first year — about 1.0% above the national Biological Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $689K; scenarios range from $613K to $710K depending on AI disruption.

Auburn, AL Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
63 SOLID
64
Optimistic
61
Pessimistic
Earnings
$59,050
1-year post-graduation
ROI
14.0x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$689K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
53% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Auburn University

Auburn’s Biological/Biosystems Engineering program leverages the university's strong engineering reputation and deep connections within the southeastern U.S. labor market. Your education here provides a unique blend of biological sciences and engineering principles, making you valuable in diverse sectors like sustainable food systems, environmental management, bioprocessing, and even medical device development. The program's interdisciplinary nature means you’ll be equipped for roles spanning traditional engineering design to optimizing complex biological systems for efficiency and sustainability. You might find yourself at agricultural tech firms, food and beverage manufacturers, or environmental consulting agencies. While some analytical tasks may face AI integration, your core strength lies in applying engineering solutions to living systems, a nuanced skill that remains in high demand. To truly stand out, actively pursue co-op experiences or undergraduate research to specialize your skillset and build industry connections early.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$613K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple12.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$689K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score63/100
Earnings Multiple13.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$710K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple14.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Auburn University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Biological Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
3
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
+5.2% 10-yr growth · 1,300 openings/yr
$106,950/yr
High
4
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Biological Engineering

How Auburn University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of California-San Diego
CA · Public
52
DW Score
$67K
1-yr earn
10.0x
ROI
University of Georgia
GA · Public
54
DW Score
$63K
1-yr earn
13.1x
ROI
Top score
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
NE · Public
65
DW Score
$62K
1-yr earn
16.7x
ROI
University of Missouri-Columbia
MO · Public
62
DW Score
$60K
1-yr earn
12.7x
ROI
Oakland University
MI · Public
49
DW Score
$57K
1-yr earn
8.8x
ROI
Also at Auburn University

Other top programs at Auburn University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Auburn University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Biological Engineering at Auburn University

How does Auburn University's Biological Engineering program score?

This program scores 63/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Biological Engineering graduates.

How vulnerable is Biological Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Biological Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 49% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.