Biomedical Engineering, also known as Bioengineering, BioMed, or BME is a multidisciplinary study that combines medicine and healthcare with applied engineering principles and materials. The combination of biological knowledge with engineering principles addresses healthcare needs that contribute to life-saving developments and procedures.
Studying for a biomedical engineering degree means readying oneself to be involved with a vast amount of knowledge under the natural sciences. The discipline generally starts with mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology then progresses to higher levels of specializations as you move further. Thus, a reputable academic institution is key for a candidate’s success in BME. Many schools have successfully taught the discipline for many years but only a few have been recognized above others. Here are some of the best biomedical engineering schools worldwide.
Top Biomedical Engineering Schools in the World
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology incorporated itself in 1861 in its first location in Boston before it transferred to its new location in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the USA, in 1916. As one of the best biomedical engineering schools in the world, MIT is driven by its goal to improve the world through education, research, and innovation.
MIT’s Biological Engineering Department anchors itself on biology as the scientific foundation. Through engineering methods such as analysis, design, and synthesis, biological knowledge is utilized for better impact in the medical and healthcare sector.
The Biological Engineering Department consistently develops new collaborations and efforts to produce better knowledge and more qualified experts. The department successfully put MIT on the biomedical engineering map, at the number one rank of field universities globally.
See also: Acceptance Rates for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Stanford University
American Senator Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Stanford, founded Stanford University in 1885 to provide educational access to the men and women of California. The university’s history, throughout the years, is marked by notable achievements by its faculty and alumni.
Stanford University’s Bioengineering Department is under the Schools of Engineering and Medicine. When the department began, it has consistently used groundbreaking research to understand all possible concepts of biomedical engineering. The Bioengineering Department also applies this knowledge through engineering, thus, creating high-impact innovations for the benefit of the medical and healthcare field.
To consistently advance in the biomedical engineering field, Stanford utilizes state-of-the-art facilities to maximize the potential of its students and researchers. The administration added highly modernized laboratories were to ensure that the department and the university maintain their lead in the discipline. Stanford currently ranks among the highest in biomedical engineering universities worldwide.
Read also: Acceptance Rates for Stanford University
3. University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge generally began in 1209 after the migration of Oxford scholars to Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The university flourished under the sponsorship and support of the English Royalties until its formal incorporation and independence.
The creation of the Department of Engineering in 1875 heralded the official start of Cambridge University’s unending motivation to achieve excellence in the engineering field. Throughout the years, the department added new disciplines that would further enrich the scholarship and research in engineering.
One of the fields the Department of Engineering excelled in is biomedical engineering. Cambridge is actually known for being a top biomedical engineering school. Through encouraging a multidisciplinary approach in the pursuit of knowledge while ensuring the quality of its research outputs, Cambridge achieved the distinction of being one of the best. Cambridge University currently ranks at the top bracket of the world’s best biomedical engineering schools.
Click to see: University of Cambridge Scholarships for International Students
4. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
ETH Zurich, or the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, began in 1855 as the Federal Polytechnic School. Since its inception, The Swiss government created the institution to be a national educational center that will cater to students from Switzerland and the whole world. The students are also offered scholarships by the Swiss government.
ETH Zurich’s Institute for Biomedical Engineering is an educational and research institute, in partnership with the University of Zurich. The IBT focuses on merging the knowledge of the natural sciences and electrical engineering with biology and medicine to create new developments in life-saving procedures.
The Institute of Biomedical Engineering trains its students and researchers under the premise of bridging the biological and technical systems, thus, creating better alternatives to existing methods. Such an approach successfully produced biomedical engineering experts accepted worldwide and elevated ETH Zurich’s prestige as one of the best universities in the field globally.
Click to see: Scholarships given by ETH Zurich
5. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
The Singaporean Government inaugurated Nanyang Technological University in 1991 after the merger of the Nanyang Technological Institute and the National Institute of Education. NTU received its autonomy in 2006 and is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore.
As one of the best biomedical engineering schools in the world, Nanyang Technological University’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering is under the College of Engineering. The department strives to meld the fundamental principles and methods of engineering and apply them to the medical and life sciences while pushing for high-impact advancements in the discipline.
The School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering successfully created world-class experts and significant contributions to the field despite the relatively young age of the institution. In a short period since the Nanyang Technological University’s creation, it reached the uppermost ranks of biomedical engineering universities worldwide.
See also: Acceptance Rate for Nanyang Technological University
6. University of Oxford
Teaching started within the grounds of Oxford in 1096 and first flourished under Henry II in 1167. As the oldest university in the English-speaking world with the fortune of an ideal institutional foundation, Oxford led the pursuit of knowledge in various disciplines, making the institution a global source of quality training.
The University of Oxford Department of Engineering Science is home to the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, one of the world’s leaders in the field. The institute maintains its excellent track record of applying academic research through consistent collaborations with institutions within the university and around the world.
The Institute of Biomedical Engineering’s insistence on using knowledge on real-world issues and applications made the institution one of bioengineering’s best. IBME’s graduates and faculty are recognized internationally due to the university’s drive for excellence. The University of Oxford is still among the top international universities for biomedical engineering.
7. University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley dates its foundation in 1868 with the merger of the College of California and the Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College. The university’s history is marked with notable decades of discoveries and achievements that elevated the scholarship and research of the disciplines taught in UCB.
The Department of Bioengineering started in 1998 as part of the efforts to further enrich academic research in UCB. The bioengineering department focuses on cutting-edge research and technology development, improvements in the existing faculty, and investment in the bioengineering community of UCB to produce better experts.
The efforts of UCB’s bioengineering department gained ideal results as its excellence in the field is well known nationally and internationally. This proves that the University of California, Berkeley is among the best biomedical engineering schools worldwide.
8. Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public institution situated in London, United Kingdom. The university has established itself as a top biomedical university worldwide since its inception in 1907. Imperial College was a University of London college until 2007 when it became an independent university that also offers scholarships to students from London and other parts of the world.
The biomedical engineering program of the university is under the bioengineering department. The department continues to rank at the top thanks to its focus on providing students with technical knowledge. Additionally, they conduct extensive research to understand the maximum biomedical concepts.
The university provides world-class facilities to train students hence increasing their potential. All students attend an industrial attachment program during their undergraduate degrees, where they can apply their knowledge and skills to solve real-world issues. This department currently maps Imperial College at the top of the best biomedical institutions worldwide.
9. National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore, the oldest university in Singapore, was established in 1905. The faculty of engineering, which houses the biomedical engineering department, is the most prominent in the university and was set up in 1968.
The university has furthered research in the biomedical engineering field through its world-class research institutes. In addition, the university uses an integrated approach that facilitates collaboration among different researchers. The university has state-of-the-art laboratories, ensuring students acquire top-notch skills. All these fantastic facilities make the National University of Singapore lead the charts in biomedical engineering across Asia and the rest of the world.
Click to see: Acceptance Rate for National University of Singapore
10. Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University, a public institution, was established in 1911 in Beijing, China. It is among the nine higher learning institutions in the C9 league. Moreover, Tsinghua University is funded by the education ministry. The university offers programs in various fields, including over 70 undergraduate degrees. The university consists of over 300 research centers and it offers scholarships
The institution is among the prestigious universities in Biomedical engineering worldwide. Tsinghua University contains top-notch and well-equipped research laboratories.
The institution’s biomedical engineering department researches medical imaging, neural engineering, and tissue engineering. The university is also affiliated with the Beijing Huaxin Hospital, which facilitates further biomedical engineering research. All these incredible facilities place Tsinghua University among the top biomedical schools.
See also: Acceptance Rate for Tsinghua University
11. Harvard University
Harvard University, established in 1636, is the oldest United States university. Situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University is among the world’s most prestigious institutions. Harvard University’s academic library is the largest in the world. The university has ten faculties, including the highly-rated biomedical engineering course.
Harvard University has continued to excel and top the list of the best biomedical engineering schools worldwide. Harvard University’s commitment is to train engineers who will steer the development of Biomedical Engineering.
Biomedical Engineering laboratories contain state-of-the-art equipment that helps students practice. Its research centers are also high-quality, facilitating thorough research in Biomedical engineering.
12. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
EPFL, among the world’s most vibrant science and technology institutions, is a public university established in 1853 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Research, education, and innovation are its primary missions.
EPFL works with other institutions, such as universities and colleges, to equip its students well and it also gives them the chance to apply for their scholarships. To maintain its position as a top biomedical engineering institution, the university consists of over 500 laboratories for furthering technology education.
The department’s curriculum focuses on theoretical and practical biomedical engineering aspects. Additionally, the institution contains the Bioengineering and Organoids Technology (BET) that bridges the biomedical research communities with EPFL research. This facilitates sharing of information in bioengineering.
The university also collaborates with various institutions, such as AGORA cancer center, to do extensive research in human health, leading to the institution being a top biomedical institution.
13. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Georgia Institute of Technology, a top public university, is situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It was established in 1885 and has campuses in France and China. Georgia Tech is among the most research-intensive institutions in America.
Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering partners with national laboratories to provide students with an opportunity to work after graduation.
The institution provides hands-on problem-solving and practical skills in the biomedical engineering field. Additionally, the institution significantly impacts health through collaboration with Emory University. Its multidisciplinary cooperation has contributed dramatically to providing quality biomedical degrees recognized worldwide, raising the university to prestigious levels.
14. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
California Institute of Technology is a private university located in Pasadena, California, established in 1891 as a vocational school. The university was renamed to its current name in 1920.
The Biology and Biological Engineering Faculty house the bioengineering program. The university focuses on teaching students identification, analysis, and solving problems in the bioengineering field. The department conducts extensive research thanks to the funding of research projects by the Rosen Bioengineering Center.
The efforts of furthering research in bioengineering have led to Caltech being recognized internationally as a top biomedical engineering institution.
15. Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)
TU Delft is among the world’s top training grounds for biomedical engineering. It is a public institution founded in 1842 in Delft, Netherlands.
The university is extensively focused on healthcare and medical technology as its students are at the frontline of research in these areas. Additionally, the institution is recognized for excellent teaching and research in biomedical engineering.
The university has top-notch research centers, such as Delft Biomedical Institute, a leading biomedical engineering research center worldwide.
See also: Scholarships by Delft University of Technology
16. Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST)
KAIST is a prestigious research-oriented university established in 1971 in Daejeon, South Korea. This university is famous for its extensive scientific and technological research.
KAIST has a strong interest in interdisciplinary research. The university has many notable alumni worldwide. The department of biological sciences, founded in 1972, is the home of Biomedical engineering.
The university’s department is organized to ensure students build creative research capabilities to become top biomedical engineers. The KAIST Bio Core Center uses quality, cutting-edge, and high-sensitivity equipment to facilitate extensive research. Moreover, the university contains the Biomedical Research Center which facilitates the training of biomedical engineers to meet the demands of the healthcare industry.
The institution’s investment in state-of-the-art laboratories has built the university’s reputation as a top biomedical engineering institution.
Click to see: Acceptance Rate for KAIST
17. Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University, a private institution, is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university offers various degrees in various courses, including Biomedical engineering and the college of engineering.
The university focuses on interdisciplinary research; students work with other faculties while solving healthcare-related problems. The university also collaborates extensively with other research partners including the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Allegheny General Hospital to deepen their research in Biomedical engineering. The collaborations provide students with a chance to access cutting-edge medical technology.
Students majoring in Biomedical Engineering choose a traditional engineering discipline enabling students to comprehend the program well. Additionally, students work in teams to develop solutions for real-world problems.
Carnegie Mellon University continues to cement its place in the top biomedical engineering schools due to the quality training it offers to its students.
We hope this article on the best biomedical engineering schools in the world was helpful. If you’re looking to study abroad, make sure to check out the Available Programs for International Students.
