Top Schools for Biomedical Engineering in the United States
Higher Education Articles February 20, 2013Biomedical engineering is the area of study that focuses on testing and developing biological and health products by applying biomedical, engineering, and biology principles. In this article, we will take a look at some of the country’s best colleges for biomedical engineering programs.
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) – Atlanta, Georgia
This is a highly rated research university that offers several levels of degree programs in engineering, business, computer science, and architecture. Several publications have ranked this university very highly; for instance, in 2011, the Princeton Review rated the university on its list of Best Value Colleges. The Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Tech jointly administer the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering that U.S. News and World Report rated as the second best in the country, in 2010. A Master of Science program and an undergraduate Bachelor of Science are offered by the department. Six concentration areas of study are offered through the graduate degree program, including neuroengineering, medical imaging, integrative biosystems, cellular and biomolecular engineering, cardiovascular biology and biomechanics, and biomaterials and regenerative medicine.
Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, Maryland
This four-year private institution attracts about 20,383 students annually. In 2010, U.S. News and World Report rated this school as the country’s best among biomedical engineering schools. The Center for Bioengineering Innovation & Design at John Hopkins offers its biomedical engineering programs that encompass the university’s four divisions, namely, the School of Medicine, the School of Engineering, the Applied Physics Laboratory and the School of Arts and Sciences. Courses from all four divisions are taken by biomedical engineering students enrolled at the school. They also participate in clinical and research projects. A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biomedical Engineering, and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Engineering in Bioengineering Innovation are also offered at John Hopkins; in addition to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.).
University of California – San Diego (UCSD) – La Jolla, California
The San Diego campus of the University of California system has five graduate and six undergraduate colleges with 23,143 students enrolled. In 2011, the Princeton Review considered this school as a good value for its tuition. According to the U.S. News and World Report, this school is highly ranked in biomedical engineering and tied for second with Georgia Institute of Technology for the top biomedical engineering universities in the country. The Department of Bioengineering at University of California – San Diego is located in the Jacob School of Engineering where it offers three different types of bachelor degrees in biotechnology, bioinformatics, and bioengineering and a unique five-year Bachelor of Science/Master of Science combined program. The graduate programs offered at the school include a Ph.D., Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), a Master of Science and a unique Ph.D./Medical Doctor (M.D.) combined program.
List of Ten Leading Biomedical Engineering Colleges and Universities
| College/University | School Distinction | Location of School |
| Boston University | Offers a post-bachelor of science to Ph.D. program in biomedical engineering | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Duke University | Robert Malkin’s Developing World Healthcare Technology Laboratory | Durham, North Carolina |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Only School to have three National Institute of Health Centers of Excellence in Nanomedicine | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Johns Hopkins University | Master of Science in Engineering in Bio-engineering Innovation and Design | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | NIBIB/Biomechanics traineeship program for doctoral students | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Rice University | BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) building | Houston, Texas |
| Stanford University | Offers a medical doctor with academic concentration in Bio-engineering | Stanford, California |
| University of California – San Diego | Offers a five-year Bachelor of Science/Master of Science program in biomedical engineering | La Jolla, California |
| University of Pennsylvania | Clinical Preceptorship in Biomedical Engineering | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| University of Washington | Five National Academy of Engineering members | Seattle, Washington |
