Best Physics Schools Near San Mateo, CA (2026)

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

San Mateo, California has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. San Mateo has a population of about 103,555. Median household income is $152,669 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $207,490 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to San Mateo

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

College of San Mateo

San Mateo, CA 1.7 miles from San Mateo
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,172
Avg net price $536/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near San Mateo

San Mateo is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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 $207,490 CA statewide $179,490
Biochemists and Biophysicists $165,050 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $142,777
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $133,360 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $115,363
Mathematicians $126,710 CA statewide $109,611
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $151,000 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $130,623
Engineers, All Other $159,800 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $138,235
Software Developers $186,640 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $161,453
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $102,880 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $88,997

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.

San Mateo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 103,555 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $152,669 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other San Mateo-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near San Mateo, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near San Mateo. The closest is College of San Mateo in San Mateo, CA (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chabot College (12.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near San Mateo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near San Mateo are: Physicists ($207,490), Software Developers ($186,640), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($165,050). 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 Foster City instead of San Mateo?

Foster City, CA is 2.5 miles from San Mateo 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 San Mateo an affordable place to study physics?

San Mateo’s median household income of $152,669 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Mateo 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 San Mateo

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

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)