Best 15 Biomedical Engineering Schools in 2024

With an estimated student loan payment at just 5% of the monthly budget, the University of Florida secured the top spot on our list. But it’s not easy to make their list — only 120 are admitted into this popular engineering program each year. Applicants must have a 2.8+ GPA and three semesters of the BME study plan completed — which includes courses in calculus, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and integrated principles in biology. Students can walk away with a bachelor’s with 131-133 credits or apply for a combination degree (getting their bachelor’s and masters simultaneously).

In addition to being one of the low monthly student loan payments at 8%, Georgia Institute of Technology has a five-year undergrad program where students can get practical work experience and a paycheck through the country’s largest co-op program. Plus, undergrads can choose to include a research designator on their transcript (the special research can be for credit or pay) that requires a thesis. Georgia Tech engineering co-eds are almost 34% women, and come from 45 states and 78 countries around the world.

Undergrads can get two degrees in one in just five years at Colorado State University — a BS in biomedical engineering with a BS in another engineering concentration: chemical and biological, electrical, or mechanical. Whichever pathway students choose, they can expect to have a heavy concentration of math, natural science, and engineering courses, as well as biomed, general ed, and tech electives. Plus, CSU offers a 7-week summer clinical immersion program and a 9-day prosthetic innovation seminar in Ecuador.

In-coming students can be among the 120+ annual graduates in one of the two Southwest biomedical engineering schools on our list — Arizona State University. This Pac-12 university prepares students for careers in areas like business, public policy, biotechnology, cybernetics, or bioelectric phenomena. In addition to a rigorous admissions process and a traditional 120-credit baccalaureate path, ASU also offers an accelerated master’s in biomedical engineering (obtaining a BS and MS, simultaneously, in five years), saving time and tuition costs.

It will take students 128 credits, one of four specializations, and seven semesters to complete a bachelor’s in biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin. During each semester of the program, co-eds are put into teams and guided through real-world projects that provide experience and a potential network after graduation. With at least a 3.0 GPA overall, they’re also eligible to apply for a one-year MS degree — a cost effective option, with the bachelor’s degree student loan coming in at only 8% of the monthly budget.

California Polytechnic State University offers two concentrations (bioinstrumentation and mechanical design), as well as a blended BS/MS biomedical engineering program. The 191-credit, four-year bachelor’s requires a 2.0+ GPA and a senior writing project to graduate. With an estimated $473 monthly student loan payment, it’s easy to see why this West coast institution made the list of the best biomedical engineering schools for the price.

Biomedical engineering undergrads at the University of California will have a heavy load of math and science (at least 48 units), 28 engineering units, plus core courses, like cell and molecular engineering, sensory motor systems, and quantitative physiology in their pursuit of a bachelor’s. For those unsure if biomedical is the engineering avenue they’d like to pursue, UC offers an Engineering Gateway Curriculum, giving them the chance to sample the waters before fully taking the plunge.

One of the four Big Ten schools represented on our list of biomedical engineering schools, The Ohio State University has a standard curriculum for most of their four-year program, plus individually selected technical engineering electives, and a two-semester team project. These 4-5 member teams represent all disciplines of engineering, working together to help a local community client. If students are among the approximate 110 admitted each year into the BME program, they will join other co-eds in the newly opened, 124,000 square foot Biomedical and Materials Engineering Complex.

Over 80% of all biomedical engineering undergrads at The University of Texas in Austin participate in research, both on and off campus. Organizations like the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center offer summer programs and internships, as well as cancer research. In addition to the bachelor’s and doctoral programs, UT Austin offers an integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree and several summer overseas classes, including international perspectives on biomedical engineering in Portugal, engineering communication and global challenges in Italy, and transport phenomena in living systems in England.

Rounding out the top 10 low cost biomedical engineering schools, Pennsylvania State University offers four degree majors — biochemical, biomaterials, medical imaging and devices, and biomechanics. Undergrads enrolled in the program have the opportunity to partner with engineering students in China to develop real-world solutions, as well as study abroad and do research — supported by organizations like the National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association — that counts toward the undergrad thesis, an independent study, or part-time employment.

The biomedical engineering program at the University of Virginia focuses on data science and modeling, with a yearlong Ideas Lab and the opportunity to do research alongside faculty, grad students, and post-doctoral fellows — for credit, pay, or as a volunteer.  The four-year degree has a “biology-first” approach — with a heavy emphasis on physiology, and cell and molecular biology — and application areas in cardio, infectious, and musculoskeletal diseases, cancer, fibrosis, and brain disorders.

Ranking fourth in the College of Science and Engineering for total enrollment, biomedical engineering baccalaureates are among the 95% of graduates at the University of Minnesota that found a job or started grad school within 6 months of getting their degree. Undergrads have the chance to do research for organizations like Center for Neuroengineering, Stem Cell Institute, and the BioTechnology Institute, as well as get hands-on learning from professionals in the field from companies like Eastman Kodak and Honeywell.

After submitting an application, high school transcripts, an essay, and at least one letter of recommendation, first year students at the University of Rhode Island can anticipate being part of the 380 freshman engineering class or the 175 accepted in the biomed bachelor’s program each year. As part of their senior capstone, URI students have the option of working on projects, such as developing a 3D model of a lower-limb prosthetic that detects the person’s balance or creating adaptive equipment to help disabled veterans relearn golf.

At Wentworth Institute of Technology, biomedical engineering students will focus on medical devices and systems, preparing for careers in healthcare-related industries, dentistry, law, and business. In addition to a rigorous four-year degree, this private institution also has an innovation and entrepreneurship center where co-eds can participate in extra-curricular programs and workshops, as well as meet and work with mentors and industry leaders to create prototypes, solve real world issues, and build connections for their future.

Photo by Bryan Cantwell/Rose-Hulman

The last in our list of the best biomedical engineering schools for the price is Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Students pursuing a bachelor’s will have access to labs for hands-on research, instrumentation, tissue culture, and orthopaedics, along with courses like systems accounting and modeling, design leadership and teamwork, technical and professional communication, and four semesters of capstone projects. The STEM college also offers Rose Squared, a program where eligible students can earn a bachelor’s and Master of Engineering Management in just four years.