Biomedical/Medical Engineering at University of California-Davis

UC Davis biomedical engineering graduates start at $68,400—roughly $1,200 above the state median and $3,700 ahead of national averages. Within four years, earnings climb to $84,250, showing the kind of steady progression you want in an engineering field. While top-tier programs like Cal Poly SLO and USC produce graduates earning in the low $80s right out of the gate, Davis students reach that level after a few years of experience. The 60th percentile ranking among California biomedical programs suggests solid, if not exceptional, performance.

The real standout here is debt: at just under $16,000, Davis students borrow roughly $4,000 less than California peers and $7,000 below the national median for this major. That 0.23 debt-to-earnings ratio means the typical graduate could reasonably pay off loans in under four months of salary—an unusually clean financial picture. The moderate sample size introduces some uncertainty, but the fundamentals are sound.

This is a sensible choice for families seeking quality biomedical engineering training without excessive financial risk. You're not getting the immediate high earnings of USC or Cal Poly, but the combination of reasonable debt and healthy salary growth makes this a straightforward path into the field with minimal financial stress.