UnisHub University Compass

Biomedical Engineering: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Biomedical Engineering is an interdisciplinary field that merges engineering principles with biological and medical sciences to innovate solutions for healthcare challenges. This program equips students with the analytical and technical expertise needed to design, develop, and assess advanced biomedical technologies and systems that improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery.

  • Biomedical Instrumentation: Focuses on the development and application of devices that measure, monitor, and analyze physiological signals, such as ECGs, blood pressure monitors, and imaging systems.
  • Medical Imaging and Signal Processing: Involves the acquisition, enhancement, and interpretation of medical images using computational methods, enabling clearer diagnostics and treatment planning.
  • Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering: Explores the design and application of materials that interact with biological systems, including scaffolds for regenerating tissues and materials used in implants and prosthetics.
  • Biomechanics: Applies mechanical principles to understand the structure, function, and movement of biological systems, from cellular mechanics to human locomotion and orthopedic device design.
  • Health Information Systems: Centers on the integration of data, software, and communication technologies to manage patient records, streamline clinical workflows, and support decision-making in healthcare settings.
  • Artificial Organs and Prosthetics: Involves the design and evaluation of engineered devices that replicate or replace the function of failing biological organs, including pacemakers, cochlear implants, and advanced limb prostheses.
  • Health Systems and Care Delivery Engineering: Addresses the optimization of healthcare processes, resource allocation, and system-level performance to enhance efficiency, safety, and accessibility in medical environments.

Biomedical Engineering Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

13,914
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
235
Universities & Colleges
3
Career Pathways

Biomedical Engineering Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Biomedical Engineering degrees, including Architectural and Engineering Managers, Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 272,110 professionals.


National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Architectural and Engineering Managers 11-9041 $167,740 $111,450 - $239,200 210,340 $80.64
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers 17-2031 $106,950 $71,860 - $165,060 21,860 $51.42
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1032 $106,120 $59,790 - $200,650 39,910 N/A

Salary Comparison

Biomedical Engineering Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $104,080 in Nebraska to $152,217 in California—a 46% difference. The highest-paying states include California, Hawaii, and Louisiana. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 272,110 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Biomedical Engineering by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 100 institutions offering Biomedical Engineering programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Biomedical Engineering is found at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Main Campus (423 graduates), Johns Hopkins University (JHU) (372 graduates), University of California (UCSD), San Diego (322 graduates), Duke University (274 graduates), and Columbia University in the City of New York (265 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 11,796 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Admissions Location Control Website
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
423 SAT: 1330-1530
ACT: 28-34
Atlanta, Georgia Public gatech.edu
Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (R)
372 SAT: 1530-1580
ACT: 34-35
Baltimore, Maryland Private jhu.edu
University of California (UCSD)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
322 N/A La Jolla, California Public ucsd.edu
Duke University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
274 SAT: 1510-1570
ACT: 34-35
Durham, North Carolina Private duke.edu
Columbia University in the City of New York
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (R)
265 SAT: 1490-1570
ACT: 34-35
New York, New York Private columbia.edu
University of Michigan (U‑M)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
259 SAT: 1350-1530
ACT: 31-34
Ann Arbor, Michigan Public umich.edu
Texas A & M University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
Other Award
259 SAT: 1140-1380
ACT: 25-31
College Station, Texas Public tamu.edu
Purdue University (PU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
249 SAT: 1190-1460
ACT: 27-34
West Lafayette, Indiana Public purdue.edu
Boston University (BU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
226 SAT: 1400-1520
ACT: 32-34
Boston, Massachusetts Private bu.edu
University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
211 SAT: 1500-1570
ACT: 34-35
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private upenn.edu
University of California (UCB)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
207 N/A Berkeley, California Public berkeley.edu
Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
204 N/A Tempe, Arizona Public asu.edu
Clemson University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
200 SAT: 1230-1390
ACT: 28-32
Clemson, South Carolina Public clemson.edu
University of California (UCI)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
191 N/A Irvine, California Public uci.edu
North Carolina State University (NC State)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
183 SAT: 1300-1460
ACT: 28-32
Raleigh, North Carolina Public ncsu.edu
Drexel University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
180 SAT: 1230-1430
ACT: 27-33
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private drexel.edu
Cornell University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
176 SAT: 1480-1560
ACT: 33-35
Ithaca, New York Private cornell.edu
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
173 SAT: 1360-1510
ACT: 28-32
Madison, Wisconsin Public wisc.edu
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
166 SAT: 1370-1530
ACT: 30-34
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Public unc.edu
Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
165 SAT: 1220-1400
ACT: 27-32
University Park, Pennsylvania Public psu.edu
University of Pittsburgh
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
157 SAT: 1270-1450
ACT: 29-33
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public pitt.edu
University of Florida (UF)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
150 SAT: 1300-1480
ACT: 28-33
Gainesville, Florida Public ufl.edu
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
149 N/A Worcester, Massachusetts Private wpi.edu
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
148 SAT: 1430-1540
ACT: 32-35
Cleveland, Ohio Private case.edu
The University of Texas
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
144 SAT: 1230-1490
ACT: 27-33
Austin, Texas Public utexas.edu
University of Minnesota (UMN)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
143 SAT: 1310-1480
ACT: 27-31
Minneapolis, Minnesota Public twin-cities.umn.edu
University of Utah (U of U)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
142 SAT: 1180-1398
ACT: 22-29
Salt Lake City, Utah Public utah.edu
University of Southern California (USC)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
139 SAT: 1440-1550
ACT: 32-35
Los Angeles, California Private usc.edu
University of Virginia (UVA)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
139 SAT: 1410-1530
ACT: 32-34
Charlottesville, Virginia Public virginia.edu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
136 SAT: 1270-1510
ACT: 29-34
Champaign, Illinois Public illinois.edu
University of Connecticut (UConn)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
133 SAT: 1210-1420
ACT: 29-33
Storrs, Connecticut Public uconn.edu
University of Washington (UW)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
133 N/A Seattle, Washington Public washington.edu
Ohio State University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
132 SAT: 1330-1480
ACT: 29-32
Columbus, Ohio Public osu.edu
Northwestern University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
131 SAT: 1490-1560
ACT: 33-35
Evanston, Illinois Private northwestern.edu
Washington University in St Louis (WashU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
126 SAT: 1500-1570
ACT: 33-35
Saint Louis, Missouri Private wustl.edu
The University of Texas
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
126 SAT: 1170-1410
ACT: 25-32
Richardson, Texas Public utdallas.edu
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
125 SAT: 1120-1340
ACT: 25-32
Chicago, Illinois Public uic.edu
University of California (UCLA)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
124 N/A Los Angeles, California Public ucla.edu
Rutgers University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
124 SAT: 1270-1480
ACT: 28-33
New Brunswick, New Jersey Public newbrunswick.rutgers.edu
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
120 SAT: 1500-1570
ACT: 34-35
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Private cmu.edu
University at Buffalo (UB)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
119 SAT: 1210-1380
ACT: 27-32
Buffalo, New York Public buffalo.edu
Tufts University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
111 SAT: 1460-1550
ACT: 33-35
Medford, Massachusetts Private tufts.edu
California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)
Bachelor's
Master's
107 N/A San Luis Obispo, California Public calpoly.edu
University of California (UCR)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
107 N/A Riverside, California Public ucr.edu
Florida International University (FIU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
106 SAT: 1060-1250
ACT: 20-26
Miami, Florida Public fiu.edu
University of California (UCD)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
105 N/A Davis, California Public ucdavis.edu
University of Iowa
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
105 SAT: 1130-1320
ACT: 22-28
Iowa City, Iowa Public uiowa.edu
Yale University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
104 SAT: 1500-1580
ACT: 33-35
New Haven, Connecticut Private yale.edu
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
104 SAT: 1330-1500
ACT: 30-34
Troy, New York Private rpi.edu
University of Rochester
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
104 SAT: 1400-1540
ACT: 31-34
Rochester, New York Private rochester.edu
Binghamton University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
100 SAT: 1320-1490
ACT: 29-34
Vestal, New York Public binghamton.edu
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
98 SAT: 1210-1470
ACT: 25-32
Newark, New Jersey Public njit.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
95 SAT: 1510-1580
ACT: 34-36
Cambridge, Massachusetts Private web.mit.edu
Stevens Institute of Technology
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
88 SAT: 1370-1500
ACT: 31-34
Hoboken, New Jersey Private stevens.edu
University of Cincinnati (UC)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
87 SAT: 1150-1360
ACT: 24-29
Cincinnati, Ohio Public uc.edu
Stanford University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
86 SAT: 1510-1580
ACT: 34-35
Stanford, California Private stanford.edu
Rice University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
85 SAT: 1500-1570
ACT: 34-36
Houston, Texas Private rice.edu
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
81 SAT: 1240-1420
ACT: 27-32
Blacksburg, Virginia Public vt.edu
San Jose State University (SJSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
80 N/A San Jose, California Public sjsu.edu
University of Houston (UH)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
80 SAT: 1150-1330
ACT: 23-28
Houston, Texas Public uh.edu
University of Arizona
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
79 SAT: 1160-1420
ACT: 21-30
Tucson, Arizona Public arizona.edu
University of Massachusetts
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
78 SAT: 1300-1480
ACT: 29-33
Amherst, Massachusetts Public umass.edu
Vanderbilt University (VU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
78 SAT: 1510-1560
ACT: 34-35
Nashville, Tennessee Private vanderbilt.edu
The University of Texas
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
76 SAT: 990-1230
ACT: 18-26
Arlington, Texas Public uta.edu
Brown University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
75 SAT: 1500-1570
ACT: 34-35
Providence, Rhode Island Private brown.edu
The University of Tennessee
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
75 SAT: 1190-1340
ACT: 25-31
Knoxville, Tennessee Public utk.edu
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
73 SAT: 1030-1270
ACT: 22-30
Richmond, Virginia Public vcu.edu
University of Colorado Boulder (CU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
71 SAT: 1230-1420
ACT: 28-33
Boulder, Colorado Public colorado.edu
University of North Texas (UNT)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
70 SAT: 980-1230
ACT: 19-27
Denton, Texas Public unt.edu
George Washington University (GW)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
68 SAT: 1350-1500
ACT: 31-34
Washington, District of Columbia Private gwu.edu
Marquette University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
68 SAT: 1190-1360
ACT: 26-31
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Private marquette.edu
University of Delaware (UD)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
66 SAT: 1200-1360
ACT: 27-31
Newark, Delaware Public udel.edu
University of Massachusetts
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
66 SAT: 1180-1350
ACT: 26-30
Lowell, Massachusetts Public uml.edu
University of Alabama (UAB)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
62 SAT: 1130-1400
ACT: 22-30
Birmingham, Alabama Public uab.edu
University of Oklahoma (OU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
62 SAT: 1140-1330
ACT: 23-29
Norman, Oklahoma Public ou.edu
Mississippi State University (MSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
60 SAT: 1110-1410
ACT: 21-29
Mississippi State, Mississippi Public msstate.edu
Stony Brook University (SBU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
60 SAT: 1320-1490
ACT: 28-33
Stony Brook, New York Public stonybrook.edu
University of Arkansas (U of A)
Bachelor's
Master's
59 SAT: 1050-1220
ACT: 21-28
Fayetteville, Arkansas Public uark.edu
University of Miami (UM)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
59 SAT: 1330-1470
ACT: 30-33
Coral Gables, Florida Private miami.edu
Michigan Technological University (MTU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
58 SAT: 1120-1330
ACT: 25-31
Houghton, Michigan Public mtu.edu
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
57 SAT: 980-1220
ACT: 21-27
Denver, Colorado Public ucdenver.edu
Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
57 SAT: 1180-1410
ACT: 25-31
Chicago, Illinois Private iit.edu
University of Toledo (UToledo)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
57 SAT: 1050-1300
ACT: 22-28
Toledo, Ohio Public utoledo.edu
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Bachelor's
Doctorate (R)
56 SAT: 1280-1460
ACT: 29-33
Rochester, New York Private rit.edu
George Mason University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
56 SAT: 1140-1340
ACT: 25-30
Fairfax, Virginia Public www2.gmu.edu
Indiana University (IU Indianapolis)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
55 SAT: 1040-1230
ACT: 21-28
Indianapolis, Indiana Public indianapolis.iu.edu
The University of Texas (UTSA)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
55 SAT: 1000-1200
ACT: 19-26
San Antonio, Texas Public utsa.edu
University of Memphis (UofM)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
54 SAT: 905-1205
ACT: 17-24
Memphis, Tennessee Public memphis.edu
California State University (CSULB)
Bachelor's
53 N/A Long Beach, California Public csulb.edu
University of South Florida (USF)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
52 SAT: 1140-1330
ACT: 24-29
Tampa, Florida Public usf.edu
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU)
Bachelor's
52 SAT: 1150-1330
ACT: 24-29
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Public lsu.edu
University of Vermont (UVM)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
52 SAT: 1250-1420
ACT: 29-32
Burlington, Vermont Public uvm.edu
Florida State University (FSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
51 SAT: 1240-1390
ACT: 27-31
Tallahassee, Florida Public fsu.edu
Oregon State University (OSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
51 N/A Corvallis, Oregon Public oregonstate.edu
Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico
Bachelor's
51 N/A Hato Rey, Puerto Rico Private pupr.edu
Wayne State University (WSU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
50 SAT: 1040-1260
ACT: 21-28
Detroit, Michigan Public wayne.edu
University of Akron
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
50 SAT: 950-1190
ACT: 18-25
Akron, Ohio Public uakron.edu
University of Louisville (UofL)
Bachelor's
Master's
49 SAT: 1020-1250
ACT: 19-27
Louisville, Kentucky Public louisville.edu
North Carolina A & T State University (NC A&T)
Bachelor's
Master's
49 SAT: 960-1190
ACT: 16-22
Greensboro, North Carolina Public ncat.edu
Lehigh University
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
48 SAT: 1350-1490
ACT: 31-33
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Private lehigh.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Biomedical Engineering programs

How much can I earn with a Biomedical Engineering degree?

Salaries for Biomedical Engineering graduates vary by role and location. Architectural and Engineering Managers earn a median of $167,740 annually, while Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers earn around $106,950. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $152,217 compared to $104,080 in Nebraska. Approximately 272,110 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Biomedical Engineering programs?

Currently 235 accredited institutions offer Biomedical Engineering degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Main Campus (423 graduates), Johns Hopkins University (JHU) (372 graduates), and University of California (UCSD), San Diego (322 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Biomedical Engineering growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 6,049 in 2010 to 13,914 in 2023-24. This represents a 130% increase overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Biomedical Engineering degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Architectural and Engineering Managers, Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. Related occupations employ approximately 272,110 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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