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Clinical engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clinical engineer. Clinical engineers usually study biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, or electrical engineering technology. 51% of clinical engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 550 real clinical engineer resumes to see exactly what clinical engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for clinical engineers are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.
There are also many online clinical engineer courses to help get the education required to be a clinical engineer.
There are certain clinical engineer certifications that you should consider. These clinical engineer certifications include Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) and Certified Biomedical Auditor (CBA).
What education do you need to become a clinical engineer?
What degree do you need to be a clinical engineer?
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Associate, 28%
- Master's, 14%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a clinical engineer?
- Business, 5%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for clinical engineers
| Clinical engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| DeVry University | 16.13% |
| University of Connecticut | 9.68% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.53% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.45% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 5.38% |
Best majors for clinical engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biomedical Engineering | 36.7% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 18.5% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 6.5% |
| 4 | Business | 5.3% |
| 5 | Nursing | 3.8% |
Best colleges for clinical engineers
The best colleges for clinical engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A clinical engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for clinical engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become clinical engineers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
4. University of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,167
Enrollment
30,279
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
20 best online courses for clinical engineers
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13. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
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17. Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials
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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical engineers
The most affordable schools for clinical engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.
If the best universities for clinical engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for clinical engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical engineers
The hardest universities for clinical engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for clinical engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for clinical engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical engineers
The easiest schools for clinical engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, cleveland state university, and capitol technology university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for clinical engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
3. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
4. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
5. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
6. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
7. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
8. Widener University
Chester, PA • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,115
9. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
10. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,111
Average clinical engineer salary by education level
| Clinical engineer education level | Clinical engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,224 |
Clinical engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025