2024 Best Value Colleges for Biomedical Engineering in California
19
Ranked Colleges
1,744
Degrees Awarded
$20,400
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Biomedical Engineering is the 71st most popular major in the country with 12,811 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, biomedical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $59,445 and had an average of $22,702 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 1,744 biomedical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,588 and $20,598 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in biomedical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great biomedical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the biomedical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Biomedical Engineering in California
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 120 ’s bio engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for california bio engineering students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Biomedical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 108 degrees to qualified ’s bio engineering students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #6 spot in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for California Bio Engineering students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 315 diplomas to qualified ’s bio engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for california bio engineering students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - San Diego Biomedical Engineering Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 178 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california bio engineering students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $12,209 for California Bio Engineering students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Irvine Biomedical Engineering Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s bio engineering degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,768 for california bio engineering students per year to attend UC Davis.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Biomedical Engineering at University of California - Davis
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s bio engineering degrees to 161 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for california bio engineering students per year to attend UC Berkeley.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at UC Berkeley
With a ranking of #7, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 ’s bio engineering degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,542 for california bio engineering students per year to attend San Jose State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at San Jose State University
California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s bio engineering degrees to qualified students.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,054 for california bio engineering students per year to attend CSULB.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Biomedical Engineering at CSULB
With a ranking of #9, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 12 ’s bio engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $13,845 for california bio engineering students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full San Diego State University Biomedical Engineering Report
University of California - Riverside came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s bio engineering degrees to qualified students.
UCR also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for California Bio Engineering students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #11, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s bio engineering degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california bio engineering students list, Loyola Marymount has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $44,467 for california bio engineering students per year to attend Loyola Marymount University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Full Loyola Marymount University Biomedical Engineering Report
University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Merced also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $13,691 for california bio engineering students per year to attend UC Merced.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Biomedical Engineering at University of California - Merced
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 37 ’s bio engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california bio engineering students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Biomedical Engineering Report
Keck Graduate Institute did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking, coming in at #14. Keck Graduate Institute is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california bio engineering students list, KGI has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” ranking.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full KGI Biomedical Engineering Report
Santa Clara University landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 51 ’s bio engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california bio engineering students list, SCU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $42,614 for california bio engineering students per year to attend SCU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Biomedical Engineering at Santa Clara University
Southern California Institute of Technology came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking. Southern California Institute of Technology is located in Anaheim, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s bio engineering degrees to qualified students.
Southern California Institute of Technology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern California Institute of Technology is $27,063 for california bio engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Biomedical Engineering at Southern California Institute of Technology
University of the Pacific landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking. Stockton, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s bio engineering degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $28,380 for California Bio Engineering students per year to attend University of the Pacific.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at University of the Pacific
Stanford University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s bio engineering degrees to 77 students in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,894 for California Bio Engineering students per year to attend Stanford University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at Stanford
University of Southern California came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools in California ranking. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 129 ’s bio engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $32,569 for California Bio Engineering students per year to attend University of Southern California.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at University of Southern California
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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