Biomedical/Medical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Rose-Hulman's biomedical engineering graduates start at $71,714, which sounds strong until you look closer at the Indiana market. Despite the school's elite engineering reputation, this program trails both Purdue ($72,749) and IU Indianapolis ($71,852)—landing at just the 40th percentile statewide. The national story is better (79th percentile), but you're paying Indiana tuition, so the state comparison matters more. For a school that's supposedly a top-tier engineering powerhouse, matching the state median rather than leading it is underwhelming.

The financial picture itself is solid: $26,441 in debt against $71,714 in starting earnings yields a manageable 0.37 ratio, and graduates see steady growth to $83,476 by year four. There's nothing alarming here—graduates aren't drowning in debt. But there's also nothing that justifies Rose-Hulman's premium positioning. With a 73% admission rate and limited socioeconomic diversity (only 12% Pell-eligible), this isn't exactly Caltech-level selectivity to match those elite-engineering-school expectations.

The value question is straightforward: if your child can get into Rose-Hulman's biomedical program, they can likely get into Purdue or IU Indianapolis, where outcomes are comparable or better. Unless there's a compelling fit reason—small classes, specific research opportunities—it's hard to argue Rose-Hulman offers meaningful value over its in-state competitors in this particular field.