Program Analysis
First-year earnings of $55,856 track close to the $63,751 national median for Biomedical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The 15.9x 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 — 50% task exposure — and the 19% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $23,000 in median debt against $55,856 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Ranked #25 out of 119 programs, University of California-Santa Cruz's Biomedical Engineering program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.
Earnings growth from $55,856 to $98,115 over five years (76% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.