Best Physics Schools Near Walnut, CA (2026)

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

Walnut, California has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $7,780 to $85,300 per year for indexed programs. Walnut has a population of about 27,857. Median household income is $133,762 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physics Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $172,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Walnut

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

Pomona, CA 2.7 miles from Walnut
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,902
Avg net price $11,531/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,780
Out‑of‑state$20,380
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 64

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

#2

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA 6.8 miles from Walnut
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,464
Avg net price $20,161/yr
Tuition
In‑state$49,470
Out‑of‑state$49,470
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 58

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

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#3

Pomona College

Claremont, CA 9.4 miles from Walnut
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 7%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,779
Avg net price $19,285/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,420
Out‑of‑state$65,420
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 42

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

#4

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA 9.7 miles from Walnut
  • 4 year
71.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,736
Avg net price $28,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Scripps College

Claremont, CA 9.8 miles from Walnut
  • 4 year
64.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,539
Avg net price $36,294/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA 9.9 miles from Walnut
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 13%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $138,687
Avg net price $35,924/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,613
Out‑of‑state$68,613
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 18

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

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#7

Pitzer College

Claremont, CA 10.0 miles from Walnut
  • 4 year
64.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,512
Avg net price $34,191/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 10.0 miles from Walnut
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 90

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 Walnut

Walnut is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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 $160,270 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $141,083
Biochemists and Biophysicists $131,700 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $115,933
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $172,510 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $151,857
Mathematicians $126,710 CA statewide $111,540
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $111,790 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $98,407
Engineers, All Other $125,060 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $110,088
Software Developers $160,920 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $141,655
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $100,960 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $88,873

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.

Walnut at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 27,857 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $133,762 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 55.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Walnut-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Walnut, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Walnut. The closest is California State Polytechnic University-Pomona in Pomona, CA (2.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Claremont McKenna College (9.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Walnut?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Walnut are: Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($172,510), Software Developers ($160,920), Physicists ($160,270). 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 West Covina instead of Walnut?

West Covina, CA is 3.3 miles from Walnut 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 Walnut an affordable place to study physics?

Walnut’s median household income of $133,762 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Walnut 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 Walnut

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

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)