Best degree programs for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, ranked by enrollment
3 college programs and 250 schools train Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $109,370 median wage, 23,480 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
3 college programs at 250 schools train bioengineers and biomedical engineers, graduating 15,283 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. The job pays a median of $109,370 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About bioengineers and biomedical engineers
Apply knowledge of engineering, biology, chemistry, computer science, and biomechanical principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological, agricultural, and health systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, and health management and care delivery systems.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
3 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineeringmain feeder CIP 14.0501 | 14,478 | 94.7% | 240 | $64,660 | $23,246 |
| 2 | Biological/Biosystems Engineeringmain feeder CIP 14.4501 | 482 | 3.2% | 23 | $59,620 | $23,012 |
| 3 | CIP 14.0702 | 323 | 2.1% | 16 | $73,072 | $23,399 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What bioengineers and biomedical engineers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $128,310 | 2,750 | 1.00× | 23 | 1,842 |
| New York | $104,010 | 840 | 0.57× | 16 | 1,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $122,560 | 950 | 1.04× | 15 | 1,116 |
| Texas | $92,600 | 2,050 | 0.96× | 16 | 1,058 |
| Massachusetts | $127,570 | 4,740 | 8.63× | 15 | 897 |
| North Carolina | $94,790 | 920 | 1.23× | 6 | 732 |
| Ohio | $111,550 | 700 | 0.84× | 11 | 644 |
| Georgiamoderate | $96,920 | — | — | 4 | 593 |
| Illinois | $89,520 | 280 | 0.31× | 9 | 584 |
| Marylandmoderate | $105,090 | 550 | 1.31× | 3 | 547 |
| Florida | $101,730 | 900 | 0.60× | 10 | 536 |
| Michigan | $100,940 | 330 | 0.50× | 8 | 515 |
| New Jersey | $114,680 | 680 | 1.06× | 5 | 413 |
| Virginia | $106,140 | 330 | 0.53× | 5 | 406 |
| Indiana | $108,030 | 620 | 1.28× | 9 | 372 |
| Wisconsin | $110,430 | 180 | 0.40× | 6 | 323 |
| Arizonamoderate | $141,230 | 610 | 1.24× | 4 | 322 |
| Colorado | $110,650 | — | — | 5 | 293 |
| Missouri | $89,480 | 160 | 0.35× | 5 | 253 |
| Connecticut | $103,500 | 300 | 1.16× | 6 | 249 |
| South Carolinalimited | $99,130 | 70 | 0.20× | 2 | 217 |
| Tennesseemoderate | $106,470 | 170 | 0.35× | 4 | 201 |
| Minnesotamoderate | $127,730 | 1,230 | 2.76× | 4 | 190 |
| Washingtonlimited | — | 880 | 1.65× | 2 | 187 |
| Alabamamoderate | $85,720 | 30 | 0.11× | 4 | 157 |
| Utahlimited | $90,870 | 280 | 1.07× | 2 | 142 |
| Louisianamoderate | $84,320 | 30 | 0.11× | 3 | 121 |
| Mississippi | $96,710 | — | — | 5 | 115 |
| Arkansaslimited | $67,850 | 30 | 0.16× | 2 | 91 |
| Iowalimited | $81,710 | 90 | 0.37× | 1 | 88 |
| Kentuckylimited | $95,360 | 80 | 0.25× | 2 | 80 |
| District of Columbiamoderate | $100,920 | 80 | 0.78× | 3 | 73 |
| Oregon | $122,510 | 150 | 0.52× | 6 | 73 |
| Oklahomalimited | $109,340 | 70 | 0.26× | 2 | 69 |
| Montanalimited | — | 40 | 0.52× | 1 | 38 |
| Nebraskalimited | $83,890 | 80 | 0.54× | 1 | 38 |
| Nevadalimited | $87,850 | 70 | 0.32× | 2 | 32 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $94,890 | 80 | 0.75× | 2 | 24 |
| Idaholimited | $133,750 | — | — | 2 | 16 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.
- Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent applications.
- Design or develop medical diagnostic or clinical instrumentation, equipment, or procedures, using the principles of engineering and biobehavioral sciences.
- Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, on the engineering aspects of the biological systems of humans and animals.
- Adapt or design computer hardware or software for medical science uses.
- Maintain databases of experiment characteristics or results.
- Develop statistical models or simulations, using statistical or modeling software.
- Read current scientific or trade literature to stay abreast of scientific, industrial, or technological advances.
Skills
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Mathematics3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Science3.9
- Monitoring3.8
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology4.6
- Computers and Electronics4.5
- Mathematics4.4
- Physics4.0
- Design4.0
- Biology3.8
Abilities
- Inductive Reasoning4.1
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.7
- Analyzing Data or Information4.6
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.5
- Getting Information4.4
- Processing Information4.3
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Bioengineer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 14.0501Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
- 14.0702Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- 14.4501Biological/Biosystems Engineering
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Bioengineer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering, which awarded 14,478 degrees in 2024-25, 94.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Bioengineer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Biological/Biosystems Engineering, Chemical Engineering. Together they graduate about 15,283 people a year.
How much do bioengineers and biomedical engineers earn?+
The median is $109,370 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $71,850 at the 10th percentile to $168,180 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for bioengineers and biomedical engineers growing?+
BLS projects a +5.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 1,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
250 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do bioengineers and biomedical engineers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Process Engineer, Research Engineer, Biomedical Engineer, Biomedical Technician (Biomedical Tech) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 17-2031.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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