Discover the 13 Best Graduate Biomedical Engineering Schools
Bring two areas of science into one.
The biomedical engineering field allows people to satisfy passions in both engineering and the medical world. By combining a knowledge of how the human body works with problem-solving skills typically associated with engineering, biomedical engineers are spearheading new innovations related to joint replacement, prosthetics and more. These are the 13 best biomedical engineering, or bioengineering, graduate programs in the nation.
10 (tie). Columbia University (Fu Foundation) (NY)
Location: New York City
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 11 (tie)
Fact: Columbia's biomedical engineering department offers multiple degrees, including a Master of Science or M.S., a Doctor of Philosophy or Ph.D. and a Doctor of Engineering Science or Eng.Sc.D. It also provides Ph.D. education to M.D.-Ph.D. students in conjunction with Columbia's medical school.
Learn more about the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University.
10 (tie). Rice University (Brown) (TX)
Location: Houston
U.S. New Best Graduate Engineering rank: 27 (tie)
Fact: Rice University's bioengineering faculty and students can get involved with one of the university's many research centers and institutes, such as the Center for Excellence in Tissue Engineering and the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering.
Learn more about the Brown School of Engineering at Rice University.
10 (tie). University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 5 (tie)
Fact: Biomedical engineering grad students at this school have six concentrations to choose from: bioelectrics and neural engineering; biomaterials and regenerative medicine; biomedical imaging and ultrasonics; biotechnology and systems biology; biomechanics and biotransport; and medical product development.
Learn more about the College of Engineering at University of Michigan--Ann Arbor.
10 (tie). University of Washington
Location: Seattle
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 27 (tie)
Fact: The University of Washington offers several biomedical engineering master's degrees, including a Master of Science, a Master of Applied Bioengineering and an online Master of Pharmaceutical Bioengineering.
Learn more about the University of Washington.
9. Boston University
Location: Boston
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 36 (tie)
Fact: Boston University's biomedical engineering faculty brings in more than $28 million of external research funding annually, according to the university.
Learn more about the College of Engineering at Boston University.
5 (tie). Stanford University (CA)
Location: Stanford, California
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 2
Fact: Because Stanford is located in Silicon Valley, it is within the vicinity of many life sciences companies and venture capital firms, as well as pharmaceutical, medical technology and biotechnology companies, according to the university.
Learn more about Stanford University.
5 (tie). University of California--Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, California
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 3
Fact: Berkeley's bioengineering department offers a one-year master's degree that -- according to the university -- is intended for students with plans to work in industry. The department also offers a master's in translational medicine and a Ph.D. in bioengineering in conjunction with the University of California--San Francisco.
Learn more about the University of California--Berkeley.
5 (tie). University of California--San Diego (Jacobs)
Location: La Jolla, California
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 11 (tie)
Fact: UCSD's bioengineering department is home to more than two dozen research groups that investigate a wide range of scientific questions. Among research areas are biosensors, cardiac mechanics, cartilage tissue engineering, integrative genomics and nanotechnology, according to the university.
Learn more about the University of California--San Diego.
5 (tie). University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 17 (tie)
Fact: Penn-educated biomedical engineers can perform a variety of jobs, such as working as a research and development manager at a biotechnology company or helping a venture capital firm assess the potential value of a new technology, according to the university. More than 80% of bioengineering undergraduates perform independent research, the university states.
Learn more about the University of Pennsylvania.
3 (tie). Duke University (Pratt) (NC)
Location: Durham, North Carolina
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 24 (tie)
Fact: More than half of Duke's biomedical engineering faculty hold joint appointments with the university's engineering and med schools, according to the university.
Learn more about Duke University.
3 (tie). Emory University-Georgia Institute of Technology
Location: Atlanta
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: Unranked
Fact: This biomedical engineering Ph.D. program is affiliated with Georgia Tech's College of Engineering and Emory University's School of Medicine, and a Ph.D. degree obtained through this partnership is conferred jointly by the two Atlanta-based academic institutions.
Learn more about Georgia Tech.
1 (tie). Johns Hopkins University (Whiting) (MD)
Location: Baltimore
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 17 (tie)
Fact: The Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering department has a biomedical design studio, which is a work space where its students can invent and test new technology.
Learn more about the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
1 (tie). Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
U.S. News Best Graduate Engineering rank: 1
Fact: According to its website, MIT's department of biological engineering sends its Ph.D. degree recipients into a variety of fields. Many of these Ph.D. alumni venture into academia and the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry while others go into consulting, venture capital or government research, the website states.
Learn more about Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Explore the highest ranked graduate biomedical engineering programs.
-- 1 (tie). Johns Hopkins University (Whiting)
-- 1 (tie). Massachusetts Institute of Technology
-- 3 (tie). Duke University (Pratt)
-- 3 (tie). Emory University-Georgia Institute of Technology
-- 5 (tie). Stanford University
-- 5 (tie). University of California--Berkeley
-- 5 (tie). University of California--San Diego (Jacobs)
-- 5 (tie). University of Pennsylvania
-- 9. Boston University
-- 10 (tie). Columbia University (Fu Foundation)
-- 10 (tie). Rice University (Brown) (TX)
-- 10 (tie). University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
-- 10 (tie). University of Washington
Learn more about the best graduate schools.
Check out all of the 2020 Best Graduate Schools rankings.
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