Biological/Biosystems Engineering Degrees (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Biological/Biosystems Engineering maps to BLS occupations averaging about $114,867, with roughly 69,280 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 57%; median in-state published tuition is about $12,051.
Biological/Biosystems Engineering: what the data shows
Common questions about biological/biosystems engineering degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a biological/biosystems engineering degree?
A Biological/Biosystems Engineering program is classified under NCES CIP 14.4500 in the Biological/Biosystems Engineering field family (00.14).
IPEDS counted 351 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of biological/biosystems engineering degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.14 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (CIP 00.1402)
- Agricultural Engineering (CIP 00.1403)
- Architectural Engineering (CIP 00.1404)
- Biochemical Engineering (CIP 00.1443)
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering (CIP 00.1405)
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering (CIP 00.1406)
- Computer Engineering (CIP 00.1409)
- Construction Engineering (CIP 00.1433)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (CIP 00.1447)
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (CIP 00.1410)
- Electromechanical Engineering (CIP 00.1441)
- Energy Systems Engineering (CIP 00.1448)
- Engineering Chemistry (CIP 00.1444)
- Engineering Mechanics (CIP 00.1411)
- Engineering Physics (CIP 00.1412)
- Engineering Science (CIP 00.1413)
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (CIP 00.1414)
- Forest Engineering (CIP 00.1434)
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering (CIP 00.1439)
- Industrial Engineering (CIP 00.1435)
- Manufacturing Engineering (CIP 00.1436)
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering (CIP 00.1442)
- Metallurgical Engineering (CIP 00.1420)
- Mining and Mineral Engineering (CIP 00.1421)
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (CIP 00.1422)
- Nuclear Engineering (CIP 00.1423)
- Ocean Engineering (CIP 00.1424)
- Operations Research (CIP 00.1437)
- Paper Science and Engineering (CIP 00.1440)
- Petroleum Engineering (CIP 00.1425)
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering (CIP 00.1432)
- Surveying Engineering (CIP 00.1438)
- Systems Engineering (CIP 00.1427)
- Textile Sciences and Engineering (CIP 00.1428)
What do you learn in biological/biosystems engineering?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What jobs can you get with a biological/biosystems engineering degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Biological/Biosystems Engineering to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 293,930 | $100,070 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a biological/biosystems engineering degree worth it?
About 0.0% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $12,051 and median net price is $15,775.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Biological/Biosystems Engineering and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$12,051 Median In-State Public
$63,829 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Biological/Biosystems Engineering majors are, on average, $12,051 for in-state public colleges, and $63,829 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Biological/Biosystems Engineering programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
351 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Biological/Biosystems Engineering from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Biological/Biosystems Engineering.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | University of Arizona | AZ | 40,769 |
| 3 | University of Florida | FL | 34,102 |
| 4 | University of California-San Diego | CA | 33,787 |
| 5 | University of Georgia | GA | 31,310 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Biological/Biosystems Engineering programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida | FL | $6,381 |
| 2 | University of Idaho | ID | $8,816 |
| 3 | Utah State University | UT | $9,228 |
| 4 | South Dakota State University | SD | $9,299 |
| 5 | University of Arkansas | AR | $9,748 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Biological/Biosystems Engineering programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida | FL | $6,351 |
| 2 | University of California-San Diego | CA | $11,750 |
| 3 | University of California-Merced | CA | $12,744 |
| 4 | Utah State University | UT | $12,869 |
| 5 | Oakland University | MI | $13,584 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Biological/Biosystems Engineering programs.
Graduation Rates
56.95% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
57.64% Average Graduation Rate
144 Institutions Reporting
43.28% - 72.24% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Biological/Biosystems Engineering programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.14 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering CIP 00.1402
- Agricultural Engineering CIP 00.1403
- Architectural Engineering CIP 00.1404
- Biochemical Engineering CIP 00.1443
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering CIP 00.1405
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering CIP 00.1406
- Computer Engineering CIP 00.1409
- Construction Engineering CIP 00.1433
- Electrical and Computer Engineering CIP 00.1447
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering CIP 00.1410
- Electromechanical Engineering CIP 00.1441
- Energy Systems Engineering CIP 00.1448
- Engineering Chemistry CIP 00.1444
- Engineering Mechanics CIP 00.1411
- Engineering Physics CIP 00.1412
- Engineering Science CIP 00.1413
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering CIP 00.1414
- Forest Engineering CIP 00.1434
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering CIP 00.1439
- Industrial Engineering CIP 00.1435
- Manufacturing Engineering CIP 00.1436
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering CIP 00.1442
- Metallurgical Engineering CIP 00.1420
- Mining and Mineral Engineering CIP 00.1421
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering CIP 00.1422
- Nuclear Engineering CIP 00.1423
- Ocean Engineering CIP 00.1424
- Operations Research CIP 00.1437
- Paper Science and Engineering CIP 00.1440
- Petroleum Engineering CIP 00.1425
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering CIP 00.1432
- Surveying Engineering CIP 00.1438
- Systems Engineering CIP 00.1427
- Textile Sciences and Engineering CIP 00.1428
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $114,867. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Biological/Biosystems Engineering graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $88,062 | 136,390 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $188,333 | 75,710 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $53,312 | 43,640 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $74,538 | 53,520 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | $58,116 | 36,880 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $131,986 | 293,930 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Biological/Biosystems Engineering CIP family (n/a programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Biological/Biosystems Engineering graduate.
- $83,998 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.0% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$136,006 Average wage, mapped occupations (OEWS)
Occupations mapped to Biological/Biosystems Engineering average $136,006 a year in the BLS OEWS extract.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Biological/Biosystems Engineering majors.
Occupations by Share
69,280 2023 Workforce
The number of Biological/Biosystems Engineering graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Biological/Biosystems Engineering by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Biological/Biosystems Engineering in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Biological/Biosystems Engineering.
Age distribution for Biological/Biosystems Engineering degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Biological/Biosystems Engineering degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Biological/Biosystems Engineering degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Biological/Biosystems Engineering are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Biological/Biosystems Engineering.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Biological/Biosystems Engineering field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Biological/Biosystems Engineering majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Biological/Biosystems Engineering majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Biological/Biosystems Engineering majors.
About
Biological/Biosystems Engineering
In 2023, 351 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Biological/Biosystems Engineering.
CIP Code
14.4500 - Biological/Biosystems Engineering
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $114,867. The largest mapped role by headcount is Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (136,390 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $12,051 in-state at public colleges and $63,829 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.