Best Physics Schools Near Coachella, CA (2026)

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

Coachella, California has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $60,878 to $76,630 per year for indexed programs. Coachella has a population of about 42,594. Median household income is $67,558 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 5.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $163,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Coachella

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer physics programs near Coachella, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Coachella 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 Coachella. 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

Crafton Hills College

Yucaipa, CA 59.9 miles from Coachella
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,553
Avg net price $11,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Redlands

Redlands, CA 63.8 miles from Coachella
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
66.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,690
Avg net price $30,031/yr
Tuition
In‑state$60,878
Out‑of‑state$60,878
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 70.1 miles from Coachella
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA 70.6 miles from Coachella
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
84.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,699
Avg net price $14,304/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,606
Out‑of‑state$49,806
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA 75.6 miles from Coachella
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,977
Avg net price $4,564/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,093
Out‑of‑state$20,693
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 82.9 miles from Coachella
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA 84.4 miles from Coachella
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
92.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 27%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,943
Avg net price $12,470/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 85.2 miles from Coachella
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,120
Avg net price $5,814/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Coachella

Coachella is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). 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 $163,990 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $154,126
Biochemists and Biophysicists $129,490 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $121,701
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $139,400 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $131,015
Mathematicians $126,710 CA statewide $119,088
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $124,920 CA statewide $117,406
Engineers, All Other $100,110 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $94,088
Software Developers $133,270 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $125,254
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $100,130 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $94,107

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.

Coachella at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 42,594 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,558 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 5.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Coachella-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Coachella, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Coachella. The closest is College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA (14.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Redlands (63.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Coachella?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Coachella are: Physicists ($163,990), Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($139,400), Software Developers ($133,270). 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 Indio instead of Coachella?

Indio, CA is 6.0 miles from Coachella 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 Coachella an affordable place to study physics?

Coachella’s median household income of $67,558 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Coachella 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 Coachella

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

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)