Johns Hopkins vs Duke for Biomedical Engineering

Hi,
I’ve been lucky to have been admitted to JHU’s BME program as well as Duke. I am currently debating which to attend (assume money is not a factor). While I am consistently told of JHU’s fantastic program, Duke definitely appealed to me more after I had visited both over this past week. Duke’s staff was far more responsive and attentive than JHU’s when it came to simple email conversations. Moreover, I was at both schools for admitted students days and though both definitely made me feel special, I just couldn’t get past how majestic Duke’s campus felt and could definitely picture myself living there. I would like to know if attending Duke for BME would in any way limit my opportunities in the job market. What’s more, Duke offers a BME/ME double major program that is definitely attractive in that it could mitigate any stigma employers have regarding sole BME majors. If anyone has insight into either school’s BME program and could perhaps compare the 2 programs, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Duke is always ranked among the top 5 in BME. If you liked it more than JHU, definitely go for it and don’t look back. I cannot think of a single door that a Duke degree cannot open, assuming you have the grades and take the initiative.

Sounds like you prefer Duke! They’re both great schools! Choose what you like best, and don’t base your decision off of rankings. Plus, Johns Hopkins is ranked #2 in BME, and Duke is ranked #3 (https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-biological-biomedical) so it’s not really a huge difference. No one is going to look down on you if you go to Duke. These are both great choices, congratulations! They both have fantastic BME programs. Just follow your heart (I know it sounds cheesy) and pick the school that works best for you.

We visited Hopkins and Duke on Friday and Saturday and Sunday. My daughter had the same reaction. She is also admitted to BME. We also visited Vanderbilt on Monday. I must say that I found all of them to be good. Duke campus really does feel better than Hopkins. We talked with many Duke BME students and they seem to be quite happy. I also think that Hopkins name in Biological Sciences/Medicine is some thing to be taken seriously. One thing that we found appealing is that Duke BME building and Medical Center are just next to each other whereas Hopkins’s case they are a short shuttle ride away.

@MaskOff You seem to prefer Duke so you should go for it. Duke has a really top BE program, for undergrad thee is no difference really between the two. Also the quality of life and campus community seems to be quite better than at Hopkins. Duke definitely seemed nice, happier, less stressful when i visited.

jhu ranked higher for bme
but… does that matter to u… really???
i heard JHU was depressing and full of cuthroat students
Duke is a great campus- my sister went there BME over UC’s and stuff- and now shes in UCSD med school!!!
go where u feel happy