Biomedical/Medical Engineering at Cornell University

Cornell's biomedical engineering program produces graduates earning about $61,400 in their first year—roughly $3,000 below the New York state median and trailing competitors like RPI and RIT by over $10,000. For one of the nation's most selective universities (8% acceptance rate, 1520 average SAT), this sits in just the 40th percentile among New York biomedical engineering programs. The good news is exceptional debt levels: at $15,500, graduates carry less than half the national median, putting this in the 95th percentile for low debt nationally.

However, treat these figures cautiously. The sample size is under 30 graduates, which means a few individuals pursuing graduate school or unusual career paths could skew the entire picture. Biomedical engineering notoriously channels many graduates toward medical school or advanced degrees rather than immediate industry jobs, which would depress first-year earnings while setting up stronger long-term prospects.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.25 is excellent, meaning graduates can theoretically pay off their loans in three months of gross earnings. But the real question is whether Cornell's steep total cost of attendance (not reflected in this debt figure alone) justifies earnings that fall short of less selective engineering schools in the same state. If your child is committed to pre-med or PhD tracks, this data won't capture the program's value. If they're aiming for immediate industry work, the numbers suggest checking whether Cornell's biomedical engineering specifically—not just its brand—delivers competitive outcomes.