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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

19 Ranked Colleges
1,032 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 12,258 people earned their degree in biomedical engineering, making the major the 75th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, biomedical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $58,234 and had an average of $23,170 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,702 biomedical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,380 and $21,463 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,032 biomedical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in biomedical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent biomedical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the biomedical engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The bio engineering school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s bio engineering degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bio Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biomedical Engineering at Stanford

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $5,456 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bio Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Biomedical Engineering at Caltech

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 120 degrees to qualified bachelors’s bio engineering students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Biomedical Engineering at UC Irvine

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s bio engineering degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bio Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Biomedical Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified bachelors’s bio engineering students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 UC Berkeley

University of California - Riverside ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Riverside Biomedical Engineering Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bio Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Biomedical Engineering Report

University of California - San Diego came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s bio engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at University of California - San Diego

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #9 spot in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at University of California - Davis

California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s bio engineering students in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Long Beach Biomedical Engineering Report

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s bio engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at SDSU

#12

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s bio engineering degrees to qualified students.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bio Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Biomedical Engineering at University of California - Santa Cruz

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 66 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s bio engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full San Jose State Biomedical Engineering Report

#14

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s bio engineering degrees to qualified students.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.

Read more about Biomedical Engineering at University of Southern California

University of California - Merced ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s bio engineering students in 2019-2020.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,782 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Merced.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Biomedical Engineering at UC Merced

#16

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #16, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s bio engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Clara University is $22,356 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Biomedical Engineering at SCU

#17

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California

With a ranking of #17, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stockton, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s bio engineering students in 2019-2020.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of the Pacific is $21,972 for california bachelor’s degree bio engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Biomedical Engineering at Pacific

#18

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#17 in overall quality

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $20,277 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bio Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California Baptist University Biomedical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #19, Southern California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Bio Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Anaheim, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s bio engineering degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

Southern California Institute of Technology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern California Institute of Technology is $26,649 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bio Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Southern California Institute of Technology Biomedical Engineering Report

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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

Footnotes

  • *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.

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