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Biomedical Engineering at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Biomedical/Medical Engineering
58 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
59
Optimistic
58
Base Case
56
Pessimistic
Earnings $70,561/yr (11% vs median)
AI Risk High (50% exposed)
Job Market Medium (19,900 openings/yr)
ROI 19.6x earnings multiple (4.5x out-of-state)
Ranked #72 of 119 Biomedical/Medical Engineering programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Biomedical Engineering graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $724K $704K $620K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 20.1x 19.6x 17.3x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 4.6x 4.5x 3.9x
Probability of Field Employment 73% 67% 48%
DegreeOutlook Score 59 58 56

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$35,956
Out-of-state: $157,320 (4.5x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$51,932
-44% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$15,000
2.6 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Biomedical Engineering graduates start at $70,561/yr — above the $63,751 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 19.6x 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 14% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $15,000 in median debt clears quickly against $70,561 in annual earnings.

At #72 out of 119 programs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's financial outcomes for Biomedical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

About University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Admission to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is competitive, with 19% of applicants accepted, with 20,556 students enrolled in Chapel Hill, NC.

See all programs and financial aid at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers $106,950/yr
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120/yr
View all 3 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 119 schools offering Biomedical Engineering →

Biomedical Engineering at Other Schools

University of Pennsylvania ($93,310) Rice University ($88,307) California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($81,186) University of Southern California ($80,508) Wentworth Institute of Technology ($80,401) Case Western Reserve University ($78,815) Worcester Polytechnic Institute ($78,283) University of the Pacific ($77,099)

Other Majors at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Computer Science ($90,293) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($85,618) Information Science/Studies ($75,834) Applied Mathematics ($75,105) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($71,594) Economics ($65,344) Physics ($62,647) Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($56,721)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Biomedical Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Biomedical Engineering program score?
A score of 58/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill trails the majority of Biomedical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
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.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →