My son got into both JHU BME program and Duke.
Looking out to see if anyone in the same position previously and what helped make the decision.
Also, i know JHU BME is pretty up there but how about Duke’s
For schools at this level of excellence and rigor really choose based on your individual child. Duke is known to be a bit more sporty and preppy. Big time school spirit and really great outcomes in life.
JHU is a bit more sedate but definitely not boring. Very serious minded student body imho. Less of a reputation around social scene.
Not the more quintessential college experience one can expect at Duke, i.e. parties, game day and the more leafy location etc.
JHU is imho surrounded by some of the greatest minds and research in the medical field. BME benefits from that environment.
If your child would be more attracted to one profile than the other from a lifestyle standpoint, that’s your choice. IMHO.
This assumes you are cost neutral in both instances.
All I can do is share the US News rankings of the top 5 undergraduate biomedical engineering programs:
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Georgia Tech
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Johns Hopkins
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MIT
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Duke
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Stanford
A different year? JHU appears to be the currently top-rated school in its U.S. News category for undergraduate biomedical engineering:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-biological-biomedical
(Edited to reflect reply #4.)
US News. We are probably using rankings for different years. Mine are now a year old. Same schools in the top 5.
JHU BME is number 1 but Duke is top 5. Don’t make a decision based on rankings alone.
Duke is a more traditional college experience. There will be more pre-law, pre-business students at Duke. JHU has a slightly more science-focused student body.
how about opportunities right after undergrad degree completion from both of these schools?
Medical school/industry placement is superb at both schools.
Hopkins is a very competitive, “sink or swim” type place. Is that an environment your child would feel comfortable in?
JHU and Duke both have strong BME programs, but the schools are very different. Have you visited ? They attract different type of students.
In both schools, there is a high percentage of students who are Premed, so it can get quite competitive.
Typical BMEs also go on to Grad school (MS/PhD or Medical school)
@JenniferClint - Could you elaborate on ‘sink or swim’ ?
My daughter is in the BME program at JHU, and both she and we as parents have been very pleased with it. The core curriculum has been revised recently by professors who want to give their students the best possible education in the field. The courses offered to undergraduates are very interesting and advanced, probably not offered at many other places. We haven’t felt that the environment has been competitive; quite the opposite actually. It seems that the people who call JHU competitive are those that have never attended. Students tend to be serious about their work, though; I don’t know if that is what people mean when they describe the school. If you would like more information, feel free to send me a PM.
I don’t have any firsthand information about biomedical engineering at Duke. I’m sure it’s a fine place as well.
@mdphd92 One of my closest friends has a BME degree from Hopkins and even went to graduate school there. He did extremely well and he loved the environment but it was definitely a LOT of work. Duke’s BME majors also put in long hours but the student body as a whole has a reputation for being a little less “intense”.
It’s definitely clear that one is expected to put in long hours at JHU which is fine considering they have a number one program and want to maintain standards. As long as it is recognized and results in excellent outcomes after the degree it’s well worth it.
I have heard several students started startup coming out of JHU. Not sure if anyone can share their experience regarding this.
Hopkins really isn’t a hotbed of entrepreneurship as far as I can tell. I don’t know about the BME program but the university overall seldom appears on lists like these*:
*Just something to consider. I am not implying that Hopkins isn’t an EXCELLENT school. This is my cherrypicked data. Take it for what it is worth.
How successful are alums are at raising venture capital?
https://files.pitchbook.com/website/files/pdf/PitchBook_Universities_2018_2019_Edition.pdf
Duke is ranked between 11 and 20 (globally) depending on what is being considered (female founders, MBA, undergrad, serial entrepreneurs, etc.). Hopkins doesn’t make an appearance.
Hoe successful are alums at becoming VCs?
3 Duke undergrad alums are on the “Midas List” of best venture capitalists (tied for 7th with schools like Princeton, Berkeley, etc.). No mention of Hopkins.
More information on tech outcomes:
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-colleges-for-software-developers-2014-10
^ Duke is 8th. Hopkins doesn’t crack the top 25.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-colleges-that-offer-the-best-financial-futures-1536188587
^ Duke is 1st (tied with Harvard and Yale). Hopkins doesn’t make the top 10.
From the Wall Street Journal:
“With their rarefied social networks, door-opening reputations and top-flight academics, it isn’t surprising that the schools with top outcomes are all brand-name institutions. Yale University, Harvard University and Duke University tied for the top spot, with Princeton University at No. 4 and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University tied at No. 5. The California Institute of Technology and Dartmouth College, tied at No. 7, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania round out the top 10.”
Actually, JHU has a pretty strong start-up scene:
https://ventures.jhu.edu/startups/
They provide access to funding, VC connections, and start-up space.
As you can see, its start-ups have raised $1.2 billion in follow-up funding since it was founded in 2012 which is impressive. JHU BME start-ups dominate with medical devices.
i would also echo, having known JHU BME grads that went on to Harvard MTSP and JHU MD/Ph.D programs, it’s not competitive or necessarily “intense”. They also do have social lifes outside of BME. It’s only intense if you are taking a heavy courseload.
both great schools with outstanding academics and reputation. From a curriculum standpoint, research is designed into the Hopkins’s undergrad experience. Of course, research is readily available at any top private, including Duke.
Both have gorgeous campuses, with an urban neighborhood.
For BME, there is no wrong decision; its like choosing A vs. A1. Visit and see which one he likes better, which one he could call ‘home’ for four years.
Is cost a factor?
Duke has D1 sports including football and basketball. The Hop has a long legacy in lacrosse. Crab cakes are better in Bawlamer; Durham has bar-b-que.
My daughter is currently a junior at Duke, double majoring in BME and ECE (Electrical & Computer Engineering). She has an internship this summer with a leading national/international biomedical device company.
There is also a relatively new program available for BME majors, starting in their junior year:
https://bme.duke.edu/undergrad/bme-design-fellows
FWIW, she feels that Duke is a very collaborative environment.
Are you planning to visit either or both?
For BME Hopkins>Duke although Duke’s program is top notch with the likes of MIT and Georgia Tech, but other considerations would be school spirit, quality of life, quality of other majors in case there is a desire for exploration, and weather, all of which Duke would win in. Good luck!