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Bioengineering

Types of Degrees Bioengineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Bioengineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	11
Bachelor’s Degree	8,633
Master’s Degree	3,923
Doctor’s Degree	1,334

What Bioengineering Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Bioengineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Bioengineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Bioengineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Bioengineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Bioengineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Bioengineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Bioengineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Bioengineering graduates include:

• Highway Engineering Teacher
• Theoretical Mechanics Teacher
• Civil Engineering Teacher
• Hydraulics Teacher
• Design Teacher
• Agricultural Engineering Teacher
• Electronic Science Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Electrical Engineering Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• Metallography Teacher
• Industrial Engineering Professor
• Heat Engineering Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Aeronautical Engineering Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Bioengineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share 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: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Bioengineering?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 52.5% women and 47.5% men among Bioengineering graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,306	52.5%
Men	6,608	47.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Bioengineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,001	43.1%
Asian	2,638	19.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1,503	10.8%
Black or African American	576	4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	20	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	13	0.1%
Two or More Races	662	4.8%
Race Unknown	306	2.2%
International Students	2,195	15.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Bioengineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Bioengineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$68,911
4 years	$86,935
5 years	$99,442

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $99,442 — roughly 44% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Bioengineering Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Bioengineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	2	4
Master’s	2	13
Doctoral (Research)	3	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Bioengineering Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Bioengineering graduates earn a median of $86,935 four years after completion — roughly 129% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	14.05
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.4501
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering	14.0702
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General	14.0201
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other	14.0299
Agricultural Engineering	14.0301
Architectural Engineering	14.0401
Astronautical Engineering	14.0202
Biochemical Engineering	14.4301
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.0601
Chemical Engineering, Other	14.0799

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.