Best Physics Schools Near Riverside, CA (2026)

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

Riverside, California has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $1,428 to $76,630 per year for indexed programs. Riverside has a population of about 316,241. Median household income is $88,575 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.7% 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 Riverside

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer physics programs near Riverside, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Riverside 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 Riverside. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA 2.3 miles from Riverside
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
45.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,091
Avg net price $8,377/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,428
Out‑of‑state$12,498
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

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

#2

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA 4.5 miles from Riverside
  • 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

Sponsored Ad

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

Physics Wages Near Riverside

Riverside 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.

Riverside at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 316,241 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $88,575 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Riverside-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Riverside, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Riverside. The closest is Riverside City College in Riverside, CA (2.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Redlands (15.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Riverside?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Riverside 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 Jurupa Valley instead of Riverside?

Jurupa Valley, CA is 6.1 miles from Riverside 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 Riverside an affordable place to study physics?

Riverside’s median household income of $88,575 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Riverside 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 Riverside

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

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)