Best Physics Schools Near Bakersfield, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Bakersfield, California has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. Bakersfield has a population of about 408,366. Median household income is $77,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Engineers, All Other at a median $139,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Bakersfield

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer physics programs near Bakersfield, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bakersfield city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Bakersfield. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 3.9 miles from Bakersfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 5.2 miles from Bakersfield
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California physics page.

Physics Wages Near Bakersfield

Bakersfield is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $135,260 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $134,054
Biochemists and Biophysicists $139,580 CA statewide $138,335
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $139,420 CA statewide $138,176
Mathematicians $126,710 CA statewide $125,580
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $124,920 CA statewide $123,806
Engineers, All Other $139,980 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $138,731
Software Developers $130,330 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $129,167
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $99,150 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $98,266

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Bakersfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 408,366 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,397 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Bakersfield-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Bakersfield, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Bakersfield. The closest is California State University-Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA (3.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of the Canyons (70.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Bakersfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Bakersfield are: Engineers, All Other ($139,980), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($139,580), Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($139,420). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Shafter instead of Bakersfield?

Shafter, CA is 12.6 miles from Bakersfield and has its own set of local physics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bakersfield an affordable place to study physics?

Bakersfield’s median household income of $77,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bakersfield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Physics Programs

Other Programs Available in Bakersfield

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Bakersfield:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Physics Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)