Biomedical/Medical Engineering: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 122 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Biomedical/Medical Engineering pays
Career outlook for Biomedical/Medical Engineering graduates
The job market for the occupations Biomedical/Medical Engineering graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 212,500 | +3.8% | $167,740 | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | 50,300 | +8.1% | $106,120 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Bioengineers and biomedical engineers | 22,200 | +5.2% | $106,950 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Biomedical/Medical Engineering vs similar majors
How Biomedical/Medical Engineering stacks up against the closest fields in Engineering on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering Engineering · this major | Operations Research | Systems Engineering | Computer Engineering | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 91 A | 94 A | 88 A | 91 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $99,854 | $168,920 | $135,617 | $112,722 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $68,923 | $91,796 | $111,379 | $81,735 |
| ROI vs cost | +582% | +1,484% | +996% | +745% |
| Typical debt | $23,278 | $17,166 | $29,370 | $22,332 |
| Colleges offering it | 122 | 6 | 26 | 168 |
Biomedical/Medical Engineering earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Associate's | $79,610 | — | +4,483% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Master's | $135,080 | — | +3,512% | Strong return |
| 3 | Portland Community College Portland, OR | Certificate | $81,975 | — | +3,454% | Strong return |
| 4 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Master's | $168,482 | — | +3,183% | Strong return |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Master's | $170,826 | — | +3,028% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $114,571 | $14,500 | +2,190% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Associate's | $118,528 | $20,000 | +2,182% | Strong return |
| 8 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Certificate | $102,292 | — | +2,090% | Strong return |
| 9 | Florida International University Miami, FL | Associate's | $93,714 | $19,500 | +1,797% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA | Master's | $98,201 | — | +1,760% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | Associate's | $109,350 | $16,750 | +1,760% | Strong return |
| 12 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT | Certificate | $125,521 | — | +1,751% | Strong return |
| 13 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA | Associate's | $102,958 | $21,375 | +1,710% | Strong return |
| 14 | Duke University Durham, NC | Master's | $150,887 | — | +1,688% | Strong return |
| 15 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Associate's | $118,167 | $11,207 | +1,655% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Associate's | $105,286 | $15,979 | +1,608% | Strong return |
| 17 | Washington State University Pullman, WA | Associate's | $95,879 | — | +1,599% | Strong return |
| 18 | Rice University Houston, TX | Associate's | $89,863 | — | +1,578% | Strong return |
| 19 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Associate's | $103,191 | $16,850 | +1,570% | Strong return |
| 20 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | Associate's | $105,677 | $15,000 | +1,533% | Strong return |
| 21 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA | Associate's | $111,260 | $20,500 | +1,524% | Strong return |
| 22 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Master's | $137,284 | — | +1,508% | Strong return |
| 23 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT | Associate's | $94,444 | $25,000 | +1,502% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Certificate | $141,614 | $37,282 | +1,422% | Strong return |
| 25 | University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT | Certificate | $125,521 | — | +1,358% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.