Leonardo TRUJILLO

Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics

In this post I share a detailed comparison between the BIM (Bioinformatics and Modeling) program at INSA Lyon and some of the most prestigious programs in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics worldwide, including top universities in the U.S. and Europe such as ETH Zürich.

What is a 4BIM student at INSA Lyon?

A 4BIM student is someone enrolled in the 4th year of the engineering cycle in the Bioinformatics and Modeling (BIM) specialization within the Biosciences department of INSA Lyon.

  • 4: fourth year of the engineering cycle.
  • BIM: Bioinformatics and Modeling.

👉 In the 4th year, the program includes:

  • Biology & Bioinformatics: eukaryotic genetics, genomics, transcriptomics, pharmacology.
  • Mathematics & Statistics: biostatistics, stochastic processes, generalized linear models.
  • Computer Science: object-oriented programming, software project development, AI.
  • PPP, languages, sports and a long professional internship.
  • Source: INSA Lyon.

The best Biotechnology–Bioinformatics programs worldwide

Global ranking (EduRank 2025)

The top universities in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology are:

  1. Harvard University
  2. Stanford University
  3. Johns Hopkins University
  4. UCSF
  5. MIT

👉 These programs are mainly graduate-level (Master’s or PhD) and strongly oriented toward cutting-edge research.

Strong undergraduate programs in the U.S.

While the most famous programs are graduate-level, there are undergraduate programs in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology:

INSA Lyon – BIM vs. international programs

1. Academic level

  • INSA Lyon – BIM: diplôme d’ingénieur (Bac+5), equivalent to a European MSc.
  • U.S.:
    • Undergraduate (Bachelor) → 4 years.
    • Graduate (Master/PhD) → Harvard, Stanford, MIT, JHU → elite research-oriented.

2. Career outcomes

  • INSA Lyon – BIM:
    • Average time to first job: 10 days.
    • Starting salary: ~€36,000/year.
    • Source: Onisep.
  • U.S.:
    • Undergraduate degrees often lead into Master’s or PhD studies before advanced employment.
    • Graduate programs at Harvard/Stanford/MIT/JHU are mainly aimed at academic research.

3. Reputation

  • INSA Lyon: very strong in Europe, thanks to CTI accreditation, the INSA network, and its professional orientation.
  • Top global universities (Harvard, Stanford, MIT, ETH Zürich): global leaders in research and international rankings.

Comparison with ETH Zürich

INSA Lyon – BIM

  • Duration: 5 years integrated.
  • Focus: multidisciplinary, professional, projects with industry and research labs.
  • Career outcomes: immediate employment in Europe, pharma, biotech, data science.
  • Starting salary: ~€36,000/year.

ETH Zürich – MSc in Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

  • Duration: 2 years (after a Bachelor).
  • Focus: advanced research, Bayesian statistics, ML, omics, complex systems modeling.
  • Career outcomes: most students pursue a PhD; strong placement in pharma (Basel: Roche, Novartis) and big tech (Google Zürich, IBM Research).
  • Starting salary: ~CHF 80,000–90,000/year in Switzerland.

Side-by-side comparison

Criterion INSA Lyon – BIM ETH Zürich – Bioinformatics MSc
Academic level Bac+5, diplôme d’ingénieur (MSc equiv.) MSc (graduate-level after Bachelor)
Total duration 5 years integrated 3-year Bachelor + 2-year MSc (min. 5 years)
Focus Professional, applied, multidisciplinary Research-oriented, advanced, elite academic
Industry Pharma & biotech in France/EU, data science Swiss pharma, big tech, PhD track
Starting salary ~€36,000/year ~CHF 80,000–90,000/year
Global reputation High in France/EU, INSA network Top-10 worldwide in QS/Shanghai rankings

Conclusion

  • The BIM program at INSA Lyon is an integrated, applied, professional training, excellent for students seeking quick employability in Europe with a hybrid profile (bioinformatics–biotech–engineering).
  • U.S. programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT are mostly graduate-level, focused on cutting-edge research rather than immediate employability.
  • ETH Zürich provides a path into elite-level research, with very high salaries and strong links to the global pharma and tech industries.

One clear advantage of the INSA Lyon BIM program is the speed with which students “become” biotech–bioinformatics engineers. Unlike the U.S. or U.K. model—where specialization often requires a general bachelor’s degree followed by a master’s—INSA’s integrated five-year curriculum immerses students early in biology, computer science, and mathematical modeling. Thanks to project-based learning and strong ties with both research labs and industry, graduates are ready to move in either direction: they can pursue an academic–research path (the diplôme d’ingénieur is recognized as a European MSc, giving direct access to PhD programs worldwide) or enter the productive sector immediately, with strong employability in pharma, biotech, bioinformatics, and data science.

👉 In short: INSA Lyon = applied professionalization in Europe, ETH Zürich = global elite research, Harvard/Stanford/MIT = world-leading academic research.

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