by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 240 U.S. colleges awarded 14,592 degrees and certificates in Biomedical Engineering. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 61% of graduates. College Factual ranks 170 schools in its 2027 Best Biomedical Engineering Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $68,911 one year after completing, rising to $98,050 after four years.
Biomedical Engineers work to improve the quality and effectiveness of patient care. In this major, you will learn how to analyze and design solutions to problems in medicine. Biomedical engineers are able to help improve the quality of life for many patients by designing and building medical devices such as prosthetic limbs or artificial organs. The world of biomedical engineering is exciting and constantly making new advances!
Every college sill have slightly different requirements for this major. However, you can expect to take classes like anatomy, biochemistry, biology, biomaterials, biomechanics, biophysical chemistry, computer programming for engineers, genetics, mathematics, organic chemistry, physics, microbiology, molecular cell biology, and micro-machines and robotics.
A major in Biomedical Engineering involves the study of Biomedical/medical Engineering.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, biomedical engineering draws strong interest, with 14,592 degrees awarded annually. 240 colleges award biomedical engineering degrees, an average of 61 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 487.
By level, the 14,592 awards include 19 associate degrees, 8,891 bachelor’s degrees, 4,199 master’s degrees and 1,468 doctorates.
Women earned 53% of biomedical engineering degrees and certificates in the latest year (7,797 of 14,592). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (6,029) and Asian (2,867), and international students earned 2,490.
College Factual ranks 170 schools in its 2027 Best Biomedical Engineering Schools ranking, including 155 for bachelor’s degrees, 99 for master’s degrees and 54 for doctorates. It also ranks biomedical engineering schools within 46 states. In all, 240 colleges offer biomedical engineering programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Biomedical Engineering Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common biomedical engineering credential is the bachelor’s degree: 8,891 of the 14,592 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to biomedical engineering call most for Speaking, Reading Comprehension and Active Listening, and for knowledge of Engineering and Technology, Mathematics and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Speech Clarity.
If you like to come up with creative solutions to problems than this major is for you! You will be learning how things work, as well as the basics of medicine and healthcare. Students should be prepared to handle a heavy workload of both math and science. Calculus and other advanced mathematics will be used in analysis and design when working. You will spend long hours working in the lab finding solutions to problems.
You will often work on team projects while in college. This essential to prepare you for a career where you will constantly work with others: fellow engineers, project managers, patients, physicians, and other professionals. Learn to express yourself clearly as well as understand the concerns and needs of others. Don't be afraid to push boundaries in order to improve the biomedical engineering field.
Most colleges require a minimum of a summer internship, but most will want you working in the field during the school year as well.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a biomedical engineering degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 19 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 8,891 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 4,199 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 1,468 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to biomedical engineering, at 40.0%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 40.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 17.6% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 12.7% |
| Master’s degree | 12.7% |
| Post-doctoral training | 12.3% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.4% |
| First professional degree | 1.2% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 1.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.3% |
Source: O*NET Online.
4 occupations are related to Biomedical Engineering, with an average median salary of $98,020; the strongest outlook belongs to Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, at 12.6% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Engineering Professor, Marine Engineering Professor, Industrial Engineering Professor and Drawing Instructor.
There are many different career paths that you may take with a degree in biomedical engineering. This includes pharmaceuticals, medical devices, artificial organs, prosthetics, medical instrumentation, and medical imaging. You may also choose to go into health management systems. This field is constantly advancing so many students decide to go back to school in order to stay knowledgeable on the latest technology and techniques in their specific field.
This field is growing as the baby-boomer generation ages and there is a demand for new medical devices and procedures. As technology advances, so will the biomedical engineering field, thus creating new areas of work.
The occupation related to biomedical engineering with the most projected jobs is Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,297,204.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,297,204 | -2.0% |
| Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 440,884 | 8.0% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 207,139 | 9.0% |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | 63,122 | 12.6% |
Biomedical Engineering graduates earn a median $68,911 one year after completing their program, $98,050 after four years and $99,442 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $68,911 |
| 4 years | $98,050 |
| 5 years | $99,442 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to biomedical engineering, with a median salary of $121,651.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $121,651 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $101,277 |
| Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | $89,263 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $79,889 |
Biomedical Engineering includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering (14,592). It has 40 similar majors in the Engineering field, which together award 188,443 degrees a year; the largest are Mechanical Engineering (43,874), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (27,513) and Computer Engineering (21,335). Browse all Engineering majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 14,592 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 43,874 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 27,513 |
| Computer Engineering | 21,335 |
| Civil Engineering | 19,856 |
| Engineering, General | 14,789 |
| Chemical Engineering | 10,559 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 10,170 |
| Industrial Engineering | 8,023 |
| Systems Engineering | 4,489 |
| Engineering, Other | 3,344 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
