Biomedical/Medical Engineering graduates from Northern Illinois University earn $54,047 median salary — below the national average for this program. Median debt: $15,000.
Biomedical/Medical Engineering at Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, Illinois • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Biomedical/Medical Engineering at Northern Illinois University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Northern Illinois University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Biomedical/Medical Engineering at the bachelor's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 7 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Northern Illinois University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $54,047 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $89,905 across all institutions offering Biomedical/Medical Engineering, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at Northern Illinois University, the mean median-earnings figure is $65,557, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Biomedical/Medical Engineering graduates at Northern Illinois University is $15,000, which translates to roughly $125 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28 is under the 1.0 threshold the College Scorecard uses to flag favorable gainful-employment outcomes — earnings in year one already exceed cumulative borrowing. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Biomedical/Medical Engineering at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | $126,419 | $15,593 |
| Rice University | $121,099 | — |
| Vanderbilt University | $116,662 | $15,000 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $116,525 | $14,500 |
| Johns Hopkins University | $114,673 | $11,207 |
| Santa Clara University | $114,426 | $20,500 |
| Tulane University of Louisiana | $112,914 | $22,500 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $111,738 | $13,000 |
| University of California-Berkeley | $110,597 | $14,896 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $109,648 | — |
Other Programs at Northern Illinois University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $120,765 | $44,065 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $119,872 | $32,950 |
| Curriculum and Instruction | $117,352 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | $107,338 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | $101,106 | $20,500 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | $98,186 | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $93,962 | $22,500 |
| Computer Science | $93,438 | $21,004 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $86,999 | $23,125 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $86,511 | $15,250 |
Other Schools with Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Quick picks offering the same program — compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.