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Biological/Biosystems Engineering at University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
52 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
53
Optimistic
52
Base Case
50
Pessimistic
Earnings $67,016/yr (15% vs median)
AI Risk High (49% exposed)
Job Market Medium (29,200 openings/yr)
ROI 11.1x earnings multiple (3.7x out-of-state)
Ranked #7 of 8 Biological/Biosystems Engineering programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Biological/Biosystems Engineering graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $695K $675K $603K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 11.4x 11.1x 9.9x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 3.8x 3.7x 3.3x
Probability of Field Employment 73% 66% 48%
DegreeOutlook Score 53 52 50

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$61,060
Out-of-state: $184,168 (3.7x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$47,000
23% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$18,716
3.4 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $67,016 at University of California-San Diego come in 15% above the national median of $58,507 for Biological/Biosystems Engineering programs.

The 11.1x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 49% task exposure — and the 13% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $67,016 far exceeding the $18,716 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

With only 8 programs offering Biological/Biosystems Engineering nationally, this is a niche field. University of California-San Diego ranks #7 among them.

About University of California-San Diego

University of California-San Diego accepts 25% of applicants — selective, though not ultra-competitive, serving a student body of 33,787 in La Jolla, CA.

See all programs and financial aid at University of California-San Diego →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Engineers, all other $117,750/yr
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers $106,950/yr
View all 4 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 8 schools offering Biological/Biosystems Engineering →

Biological/Biosystems Engineering at Other Schools

University of Georgia ($62,842) University of Nebraska-Lincoln ($61,755) University of Missouri-Columbia ($60,190) Auburn University ($59,050) Oakland University ($57,337) Utah State University ($52,951) University of Florida ($46,917)

Other Majors at University of California-San Diego

Computer Science ($112,006) Computer Engineering ($96,256) Mathematics and Computer Science ($89,651) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($80,687) Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology ($76,592) Mechanical Engineering ($69,555) Civil Engineering ($65,478) Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering ($65,401)

Frequently Asked Questions

How does University of California-San Diego's Biological/Biosystems Engineering program score?
A score of 52/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of California-San Diego trails the majority of Biological/Biosystems Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Biological/Biosystems Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Biological/Biosystems Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 49% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →