Best Physics Schools Near Lincoln, CA (2026)

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

Lincoln, California has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $1,288 to $22,945 per year for indexed programs. Lincoln has a population of about 51,629. Median household income is $108,108 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Software Developers at a median $139,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Lincoln

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

Sacramento, CA 22.9 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,876
Avg net price $9,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

#2

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA 33.7 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,838
Avg net price $14,741/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 153

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

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#3

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 61.7 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,445
Avg net price $25,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 62.9 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA 66.0 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,172
Avg net price $14,480/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,472
Out‑of‑state$21,072
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 74

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

#6

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 83.3 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA 84.0 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,812
Avg net price $30,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 86.0 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

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 Lincoln

Lincoln is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). 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 $120,490 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $112,924
Biochemists and Biophysicists $139,580 CA statewide $130,815
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $132,790 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $124,452
Mathematicians $126,710 CA statewide $118,754
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $124,920 CA statewide $117,076
Engineers, All Other $124,220 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $116,420
Software Developers $139,640 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $130,872
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $105,060 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $98,463

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.

Lincoln at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,629 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $108,108 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 38.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lincoln-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Lincoln, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Lincoln. The closest is Sierra College in Rocklin, CA (7.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cosumnes River College (30.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Lincoln?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Lincoln are: Software Developers ($139,640), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($139,580), Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($132,790). 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 Rocklin instead of Lincoln?

Rocklin, CA is 5.2 miles from Lincoln 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 Lincoln an affordable place to study physics?

Lincoln’s median household income of $108,108 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lincoln 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 Lincoln

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

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)