10 Most Affordable Master’s in Biomedical Engineering Online

10 Most Affordable Master’s in Biomedical Engineering Online

Staff picture
Staff
Updated September 11, 2020

GradSchoolHub.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Discover a program that is right for you.

Best Online Badge

Online master's in biomedical engineering programs are ideal for STEM graduates to make the human body their research subject for designing and assembling new life-saving apparatus. Named Forbes' #1 most valuable college major, biomedical engineering has a history of scientifically improving patient well-being that traces back nearly 3,000 years to ancient Egypt.

Biomedical engineers like Wilson Greatbatch and Graeme Clarke have played a pivotal role in revolutionizing clinical treatments from pacemakers to cochlear implants. According to E&T Magazine, the United States has a powerful biomedical engineering presence estimated to represent 45 percent of the world's $381 billion market. Big Medtech companies, including Siemens, GE, Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Stryker, and Baxter, utilize the latest 21st-century advancements to solve physicians' challenges. Earning a biomedical engineering master's online can turn students into BMES Fellows with the insight and ingenuity to cure people's ailments.

Explore these promoted online degree programs.

These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online graduate degree programs. Figuring out where to apply? Consider one of these online Master’s or PhD programs.

Most Affordable Master’s in Biomedical Engineering Online

#1 Purdue University West Lafayette, IN
#2 Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO
#3 University of Maryland College Park, MD
#4 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
#5 Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
#6 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester , MA
#7 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
#8 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
#9 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
#10 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD

Methodology

The Grad School Hub staff has surveyed the NCES College Navigator database to detect the most affordable online biomedical engineering master's that build clinical problem-solving skills. We began by browsing for advanced degrees in the "bioengineering/biomedical engineering" category that were available by distance learning. We investigated the 12 results to sort the master's from other graduate offerings, i.e. the University of Maine's Online Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Google was consulted next to locate any missing programs and round out our list of 10 master's. Each school was checked for current regional accreditation. Then, we arranged the universities in descending order based on average graduate in-state tuition. Below we've highlighted master's in biomedical engineering online degrees costing from $52,170 down to $9,208 annually for health care innovation.

Ranking Low-cost Online Biomedical Engineering Master's

  1. Purdue University
    Location

    West Lafayette, IN

    Tuition

    $9208

    Housing the $25-million Martin C. Jischke Hall of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University is a public, space-grant STEM institute founded in 1869 by industrialist John Purdue that's now educating 40,451 Boilermakers, conducting 2,000+ research projects, and earning 178 patents in Tippecanoe County. Purdue is crowned America's 37th best buy in Money, 23rd best engineering college on Niche, and fourth top public school by The Wall Street Journal. Celebrating its 140th year, the College of Engineering has 452 faculty and 82,000 living alumni from programs like the Online Interdisciplinary Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering on Blackboard Learn. The 30-credit, thesis-optional curriculum organized by Dr. George Wodicka brings together courses from Biomedical Engineering, Regulatory Affairs, Life Science, and Quantitative Analysis for 15-month completion and 96 percent job placement.

  2. Colorado State University
    Location

    Fort Collins, CO

    Tuition

    $9917

    Boasting the Rocky Mountain Magnetic Resonance Lab, Colorado State University is a public, land-grant Senator Paul Simon National Award winner founded in 1870 by Governor McCook that's serving 33,058 Rams in 181 majors at its 586-acre campus in Gallup's #1 most satisfied city and online. CSU was declared America's 70th top engineering school by the U.S. News World Report, the 17th best value in Financial Times, and 167th best college on Niche. The Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering carries on the Peter Kiewit Sons CEO's mission by enrolling 3,370 with a median 3.84 GPA, including Master of Engineering (M.E.) - Biomedical Engineering Specialization Online students. Chaired by Dr. Chandra Chandrasekar, the 30-credit, interdisciplinary draws Canvas courses from Bio-Inspired Surfaces to Advanced Composite Materials from 13 departments before the capstone research or internship.

  3. University of Maryland
    Location

    College Park, MD

    Tuition

    $11718

    Chosen to host the 26th Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference, the University of Maryland is a public, sea-grant CUWMA Fields Institute member of the "Public Ivies" that admits 8,427 post-grad Terrapins from 20,695 applications annually at its 1,250-acre, Georgian-style Washington Metro campus or online. UMD is honored America's 25th best engineering school by the U.S. News World Report, 43rd greenest college in The Princeton Review, and 85th top pick on the Social Mobility Index. The A. James Clark School of Engineering recruits to the Online M.Eng. in Bioengineering Program with funds like the Warren Citrin Fellowship and BIOE Graduate Society membership. Headed by Dr. Keith Herold, the 30-credit, coursework-only curriculum has synchronous online sessions on Microscopic Function of Cells, Tissue Engineering Applications, Biomedical Device Development, and more.

  4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Location

    Champaign, IL

    Tuition

    $15186

    Highly regarded for its Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public, space-grant AAU member chartered in 1867 that's budgeting $6.5 billion systemwide to plan 5,000+ courses on its 6,370-acre Twin Cities campus or online via Compass 2g for 11,500 post-grad Fighting Illini from 80 countries. UIUC is named America's sixth top engineering college by the U.S. News World Report, 22nd best value in Money, and 27th best STEM school on Times Higher Education. The College of Engineering administered by Dr. Andreas C. Cangellaris maintains a May 31st deadline for the Professional Master's of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Bioengineering Online. Offering 3+2 routes with Shanghai Jiao Tong and Nanjing, the 32-credit, non-thesis degree builds expertise in Bioinstrumentation, Computational Genomics, and General Bioengineering concentrations with job assistance.

  5. Rutgers University-New Brunswick
    Location

    New Brunswick, NJ

    Tuition

    $16848

    Linked to 233,900 LinkedIn alumni, including clinicians Michael S. Gottlieb, Sandra Saouaf, and Stanley Norman Cohen, Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public, land-grant RU/VH Big Ten giant formed as Queen's College in 1766 that's conferring 200+ majors, earning $608 million in grants, and treating 2.1 million patients. Rutgers was chosen America's 49th best engineering school on the U.S. News World Report, 33rd top college by the CWUR, and 142nd best value in Kiplinger's. The School of Engineering has five annual start dates for graduates with an average GPA of 3.3 to launch the Online Masters of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering. Advised by Dr. William Craelius, the 2013 QED Innovation Award recipient, the 33-credit curriculum integrates one-on-one independent study projects with courses like Ethical Science Conduct, Advanced Cell Biology, Bioimaging Methods, and Thermodynamics.

  6. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
    Location

    Worcester , MA

    Tuition

    $26226

    Partnered with UMass Medical School for its Healthcare Delivery Institute in 2011, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is one of Carnegie's 51 private, nonprofit doctoral RU/VH science colleges that reaches beyond its 32-hectare New England campus on Canvas and gifts $78.5 million in financial aid to 6,139 Engineers. WPI was judged America's 88th top engineering school by the U.S. News World Report, 83rd best research university in Forbes, and seventh best ROI college on PayScale. Granted the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize, the Engineering Department has the Virtual Open House to check out the Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering Online. Directed by Dr. Kristen Billiar from Gateway Park, the 33-credit, GRE-waived program pairs concentrations in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, or Biomedical Instrumentation and Biosignal Processing with capstones.

  7. University of Southern California
    Location

    Los Angeles, CA

    Tuition

    $43200

    Home to the Medical Device Development Facility (MMDF) since 1999, the University of Southern California is a private, sea-grant Pac-12 Google partner that's generating an $8 billion economic impact by training 45,500 Trojans at a 92 percent graduation rate in the "Big Orange" and online via Blackboard. USC was proclaimed America's 25th best engineering school on the U.S. News World Report, 15th top university by Times Higher Education, and 116th best value in Money magazine. The Viterbi School of Engineering has a January 15th deadline for Fall cohorts building on B.S. degrees with the Online Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering that links physiology to innovative design. Advised by Dr. Bartlett Mel, the 28-unit, thesis-optional program offers funds like the $10,000 Xinran Ji Memorial Scholarship to complete remote courses from Ultrasonic Imaging to Artificial Intelligence.

  8. Case Western Reserve University
    Location

    Cleveland, OH

    Tuition

    $43854

    Known for its Case-Coulter Translational Research Partnership (CCTRP), Case Western Reserve University is a top-tier private, nonsectarian PAC member that's budgeting $1.1 billion to employ 3,501 faculty and train 11,824 Spartans at its 267-acre Wade Park campus or online. CWRU is designated America's 38th best engineering college on Niche, 53rd best private value in Kiplinger's Personal Finance, and 69th top clinical university by Times Higher Education. Chaired by Dr. Jeffrey Duerk, the NIH-funded Case School of Engineering in the Wickenden Building has grown since 1968 to educate 150 graduates with the Master of Engineering - Biomedical Engineering (EBME) Concentration Online. Besides the B.S./M.Eng. track, the 30-credit, lock-step curriculum spans August to August with Canvas courses like Neural Engineering, an optional Wireless Health Products Certificate, and a capstone project.

  9. Columbia University in the City of New York
    Location

    New York, NY

    Tuition

    $44864

    Registering 500+ clubs, including the Society for Biomaterials, Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, research-intensive Ivy League AAU member with $18.5 billion in assets that's enrolling 27,384 full-time Lions with 5.5 percent admission at the six-block Upper West Side campus and online on Canvas. Columbia is declared America's 15th top engineering school by The Chronicle of Higher Education, 47th greenest college on The Princeton Review, and seventh best buy in Financial Times. The Fu Foundation School of Engineering Applied Science uses the Columbia Video Network (CVN) to provide the student-centric Online Biomedical Engineering Master's Degree. Headed by Dr. Mary Cunningham Boyce, the 30-credit, residency-free curriculum integrates part-time courses like Computational Modeling, Cardiac Mechanics, Artificial Organs, and Protein Engineering without a thesis.

  10. Johns Hopkins University
    Location

    Baltimore, MD

    Tuition

    $52170

    Hosting the BME Healthcare Design Competition each April, Johns Hopkins University is the most research-intensive private, nonsectarian institution founded in 1876 that's attracting $1.99 billion in federal funding, treating 3,922 patients in 145 countries, and teaching 20,174 Blue Jays from Baltimore to Blackboard. JHU is ranked America's 14th best engineering school in the U.S. News World Report, 13th top university by the CWUR, and 18th hardest college on Niche. The Whiting School of Engineering has 540 faculty led by Dr. Ed Schlesinger for 61 programs, including the Master of Science in Applied Biomedical Engineering Online with just two weekend intensive labs at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Bachelor's grads with minimum 3.0 GPAs enter the 10-course major for emphases in Translational Tissue Engineering, Medical Imaging, or Bioinstrumentation before the independent study project.

Which Careers are Available for Biomedical Engineering Master's Online Grads?

Finishing an online master's in biomedical engineering can qualify STEM practitioners for most technical jobs creating real-world solutions to patient problems. Though university teaching and some research positions will seek doctorates, master's study is sufficient in various disciplines, including biomechanics, bioinstrumentation, systems physiology, neural processing, surgical robotics, and biomaterials. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying offers the Professional Engineer (P.E.) license for those who pass a 110-question, six-hour exam. Graduates would also be eligible for the Healthcare Technology Certification Commission‘s three-step Certified in Clinical Engineering (CCE) process that requires 3+ years of experience and a 150-question, $475 written test. Let's dive into five careers where cheap biomedical engineering masters add résumé value.

Biomedical Engineer- An online biomedical engineering master's can obviously lead to the U.S. News & World Report‘s #5 best engineering job to innovate effective devices that combat acute or chronic health troubles. Biomedical engineers create product designs, code computer-aided software, test equipment features, document trial results, follow safety guidelines, troubleshoot flaws, train clinicians for usage, and publish scientific journal articles.

Rehabilitation Engineer- The Centers for Disease Control reported that 39.6 million Americans suffer from physical functioning difficulties, so biomedical engineering master's online students may focus on developing assistive technologies. Rehabilitation engineers assess disability needs, design aids like wheelchairs, manufacture prototypes, calibrate to patient posture, conduct clinical reviews, minimize potential hazards, and fine-tune products.

Medical Imaging Engineer- CT scan referrals have skyrocketed from 3 million to 80 million in the United States alone since 1980 according to CBS News, which means the diagnostic market is hot for master's in biomedical engineering online grads. Medical imaging engineers build machinery like MRIs, brainstorm new ultrasound capabilities, limit radiation exposure, perform testing, conduct system repairs, and comply with health regulations.

Orthopedic Engineer- The Arthritis Foundation projects that 100+ chronic joint diseases will affect 78.4 million, or 25 percent of, U.S. adults by 2040 who would benefit from orthopedic engineers' designs of artificial mobility aids. Receiving an online biomedical engineering masters can help model the musculoskeletal system, develop functional joints, advance tendon treatments, analyze cartilage effects, customize prosthetic limbs, and perform gait testing.

Tissue Engineer- Every 10 minutes Donate Life America adds to the 115,000 U.S. patients awaiting transplants, but online master's in biomedical engineering students could form new viable tissues to reduce the 8,000 deaths from lack of donors yearly. Tissue engineers harness stem cells, grow synthetic materials, develop whole organs, design implants that inhibit disease, innovate regenerative medicine, and collaborate with molecular biologists.

What is the Salary ROI for a Master's in Biomedical Engineering Online Degree?

Scoring cheap biomedical engineering master's bargains can reap big returns in a Medtech industry that provides mean pay of $98,260 according to MD+DI Magazine. Like most engineering majors, bioengineering gives financial stability with salaries well above the master's average of $69,732 on SmartAsset. The Department of Labor reports that the 20,100 biomedical engineers earn a mean annual wage of $92,970, or $44.70 per hour. Medical manufacturing firms compensate $94,990 on average while technical consulting firms gift median income of $108,010. Biomedical engineering managers make the most with average profits of $146,290 annually. Specializing in biochemical engineering will bring home a mean yearly paycheck of $112,430. On Salary.com, BME directors reported median earnings of $109,784. Other high averages were $129,875 for health & safety engineers, $131,998 for product design directors, $123,806 for test engineers, and $130,304 for quality assurance consultants.

How is the Job Outlook After Online Biomedical Engineering Master's Programs?

Accessing 24/7 biomedical engineering master's online courses can segue into an in-demand profession that's seen record growth in recent years. In 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics rightly predicted that BME jobs would balloon for 72 percent gains by this year. Though still slightly above average, biomedical engineering employment will only rise by 7 percent through 2026 to create 1,500 U.S. positions. In comparison, this decade-long growth is faster than the 6 percent in engineering management, 2 percent in materials engineering, 6 percent in aerospace engineering, and 5 percent in computer hardware engineering. Biomedical expertise serves well since Modern Healthcare expects the clinical sector to add 4 million, or one-third of, new jobs through 2026. The best cities for biomedical engineers on Design News are Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City. Online master's in biomedical engineering degrees offer relocation flexibility to find disease-fighting jobs.

Related Rankings:

Additional Sources: 

College Navigator

Forbes

E&T Magazine

BMES Fellows

This concludes our list of the 10 most affordable online master's in biomedical engineering.

Latest Posts

See All Posts

GradSchoolHub.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Discover a program that is right for you.

Explore different options for you based on your degree interests.