Biomedical Engineeringat University of California-Merced
Graduates earn $57,223/yr in their first year — about 10.0% below the national Biomedical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $826K; scenarios range from $708K to $858K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UC Merced
First-year earnings of $57,223 track close to the $63,751 national median for Biomedical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The 14.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 50% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $20,816 in median debt against $57,223 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Ranked #39 out of 119 programs, University of California-Merced's Biomedical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Earnings growth from $57,223 to $89,244 over five years (56% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UC Merced's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Biomedical Engineering
How UC Merced stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UC Merced
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Merced, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
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 →Frequently asked about Biomedical Engineering at UC Merced
How does University of California-Merced's Biomedical Engineering program score?
This program scores 64/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Biomedical Engineering graduates.
How vulnerable is Biomedical Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Biomedical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 50% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.