Biomedical Engineering is Johns Hopkins University's single most decorated undergraduate program: it has been ranked #1 nationally by US News for decades, taught out of the Whiting School of Engineering with direct ties to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Applied Physics Laboratory. Hopkins offers the program as a BS at the undergraduate level and a PhD at the doctoral level, all within a university that founded modern American medicine and consistently tops US research-spending rankings. For applicants weighing Hopkins Biomedical Engineering against MIT, Stanford, or Duke's equivalent programs, the pitch is unmatched proximity to a top-ranked medical school and research hospital system, decades of sustained #1 rankings, and a name that carries particular weight in biomedical, healthcare, and med-tech recruiting specifically.
This guide walks through acceptance rate realities, real costs, requirements, English-test rules, and career outcomes for Johns Hopkins' Biomedical Engineering program.
Acceptance Rate: What Johns Hopkins Actually Publishes
Johns Hopkins does not publish a separate acceptance rate for Biomedical Engineering. What we know, grounded in Hopkins' own published data:
- Johns Hopkins undergraduate acceptance rate (university-wide): approximately 5.1% in recent cycles, driven by strong applicant growth against a comparatively small entering class of roughly 1,300 students. There is no separate "Biomedical Engineering acceptance rate," since Hopkins admits students to the university, and students then declare or apply into a specific major.
- Because Biomedical Engineering is Hopkins' single most prestigious and popular undergraduate program (ranked #1 nationally for decades), it's reasonable to assume it draws a disproportionately strong and competitive slice of an already 5.1% pool, rather than being easier to get into than the university-wide figure.
- PhD in Biomedical Engineering (Whiting School of Engineering): Hopkins does not publish a consolidated graduate acceptance rate at all; each school, and often each department within the Whiting School of Engineering, admits independently. No standalone Biomedical Engineering PhD acceptance rate is published.
Bottom line: treat the university-wide 5.1% figure as an honest, clearly-labeled proxy rather than a Biomedical Engineering-specific number, and expect Biomedical Engineering applicants specifically to face a pool at least as selective as that headline rate, given the program's #1 national ranking and correspondingly high applicant interest.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Johns Hopkins charges the same flat tuition across undergraduate majors, including Biomedical Engineering. Approximate annual costs for international students (2025-2026, per Hopkins' published cost of attendance):
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $66,670 |
| Living expenses | $22,430 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | $92,000 |
The undergraduate application fee is $70, with fee waivers available through NACAC or QuestBridge fee-waiver programs. Hopkins is need-aware (not need-blind) for international undergraduate applicants: it meets full demonstrated need for admitted students who apply for aid as first-years, but only about 10% of international undergraduates receive institutional aid, and applicants who don't request aid at the first-year stage generally cannot apply for it later. International and domestic students are charged identical tuition, standard across most elite private US universities. Graduate assistantships (teaching and research) are available through the Whiting School of Engineering, typically including a tuition discount and living stipend, most common for PhD students.
Admission Requirements
Johns Hopkins' undergraduate admissions is unified across all majors, including Biomedical Engineering, run through the Common Application or Coalition Application. Based on Hopkins' published requirements:
- Common Application or Coalition Application
- Secondary School Report and official transcripts (translated into English if applicable)
- Two Teacher Letters of Recommendation and one Counselor Letter of Recommendation
- Personal Essay and Hopkins-specific short answers
- Mid-Year Report
- SAT/ACT: middle-50% of recently admitted students scored 1530-1570 on the SAT and 34-36 on the ACT
- Certification of Finances (international applicants)
- English proficiency test scores, if applicable (see below)
For the PhD in Biomedical Engineering, admission runs through the Whiting School of Engineering's graduate process: an online application, official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions (with credential evaluation for international degrees), a Statement of Purpose, 2-3 letters of recommendation, a resume/CV, and English proficiency scores if applicable. The GRE is not required for Whiting School of Engineering graduate applicants, including Biomedical Engineering PhD candidates. The PhD application deadline is December 15 (priority, rolling thereafter).
How to Get Into Johns Hopkins' Biomedical Engineering Program
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Build an essay and activity record that shows sustained engagement with biomedical or engineering problems specifically. Given the ~5.1% acceptance rate and Biomedical Engineering's status as Hopkins' flagship program, admissions readers are looking for genuine depth (research, competitions, clinical exposure, independent projects), not just strong grades and test scores.
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Target the reported SAT/ACT range, but don't stop there. A 1530-1570 SAT or 34-36 ACT is necessary but far from sufficient in Hopkins' holistic review; essays, recommendations, and a clear, specific interest in biomedical engineering matter just as much.
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Decide on financial aid at the first-year application stage if you'll need it. Because Hopkins is need-aware for international undergraduates and generally doesn't allow requesting aid later, this is a strategic decision that has to be made before, not after, applying.
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For the PhD route, identify and reference specific faculty or lab fit in your Statement of Purpose. Hopkins' close ties to the School of Medicine and Applied Physics Laboratory mean naming a specific research direction, and ideally a specific faculty member, signals seriousness far more than a generic biomedical-engineering interest statement.
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Clear the English-proficiency bar comfortably rather than at the minimum. Given how selective undergraduate admission already is, a borderline English score can shape how reviewers read the rest of a holistic file even when it isn't disqualifying on its own.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Johns Hopkins sets its English-proficiency policy independently for undergraduate versus graduate admissions; for general context on applying to Hopkins, see the Johns Hopkins University guide. The Biomedical Engineering-relevant numbers, straight from Hopkins' published policy:
- Undergraduate (BS): IELTS minimum 7.0 (recommended 7.5), TOEFL minimum 100 (recommended 105), PTE minimum 68, Duolingo minimum 130, Cambridge English also accepted. Scores valid for 2 years.
- Graduate/PhD (Whiting School of Engineering): IELTS minimum 7.0, TOEFL minimum 100, PTE minimum 68, Duolingo accepted at 120 by some Hopkins schools, though the Whiting School of Engineering does not accept Duolingo for all programs, so applicants should confirm directly with the department. Scores valid for 2 years.
- Waiver: available for applicants who are citizens of a country where English is the sole official language, or who completed (or will complete) a bachelor's or master's degree at an institution where English was the sole language of instruction.
- No conditional admission: Hopkins does not run a formal English-bridge or conditional-admission pathway at either the undergraduate or graduate level; applicants must meet the test-score minimum or qualify for a waiver at the time of application.
Given the university's low single-digit acceptance rate, a borderline score is unlikely to be the single deciding factor, but it can still color how reviewers read the rest of the file, so treat test prep as strengthening the whole application rather than clearing a minimum box.
Career Outcomes
Johns Hopkins does not publish outcomes broken out specifically for Biomedical Engineering, but university-wide undergraduate and graduate figures give a strong directional proxy, since Biomedical Engineering graduates are a significant share of Hopkins' STEM outcomes:
- Undergraduate graduation rate: approximately 94.6%
- Undergraduate employment rate after 6 months: approximately 79.7% (university-wide figure)
- Average undergraduate starting salary: approximately $60,768 (university-wide figure; Biomedical Engineering graduates, particularly those moving into med-tech, biotech, or engineering roles, often see figures above this blended average)
- Average graduate starting salary: approximately $115,900 (university-wide figure)
- Top recruiters (university-wide): Johns Hopkins Hospital/Medicine, McKinsey & Company, Google, Amazon, Deloitte, Northrop Grumman
Hopkins' Biomedical Engineering graduates benefit from the program's decades-long #1 national ranking and the university's direct pipeline into Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Applied Physics Laboratory, on top of the general Hopkins brand recognition that opens doors across consulting, tech, and defense-adjacent engineering employers.
FAQ
Does Johns Hopkins publish a separate acceptance rate for Biomedical Engineering? No. Hopkins does not release a major-specific acceptance rate. The best available proxy is the university-wide undergraduate acceptance rate of approximately 5.1%, and Biomedical Engineering applicants specifically should expect a pool at least as competitive as that figure given the program's #1 national ranking.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering? Undergraduate applicants need a minimum IELTS 7.0 (recommended 7.5) or TOEFL 100 (recommended 105); PhD applicants through the Whiting School of Engineering need the same minimums (IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 100), though Duolingo acceptance varies by department at the graduate level.
How much does Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering cost? Tuition is $66,670/year, with total cost of attendance including living expenses around $92,000/year for undergraduates. This is the same flat rate as Hopkins' other undergraduate majors.
Is financial aid available for international Biomedical Engineering undergraduates? Yes, but on more limited terms than for domestic students. Hopkins is need-aware (not need-blind) for international undergraduates, meets full demonstrated need for admitted students who apply for aid as first-years, and only about 10% of international undergraduates receive institutional aid.
Is the GRE required for the PhD in Biomedical Engineering? No. The Whiting School of Engineering, which houses the Biomedical Engineering PhD, does not require the GRE for master's or PhD applicants.
Does Johns Hopkins offer conditional admission if my English score is below the requirement? No, at either the undergraduate or PhD level. Hopkins does not run a conditional-admission or English-bridge pathway; applicants must meet the test-score minimum or qualify for an official waiver by the time they apply.
What SAT or ACT range should I target for a competitive application? The middle 50% of recently admitted students scored 1530-1570 on the SAT and 34-36 on the ACT. Given Hopkins' low acceptance rate, scores in this range are necessary but far from sufficient; essays, recommendations, and demonstrated depth in biomedical engineering specifically matter just as much.