Best Physics Schools Near Thornton, CO (2026)

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

Thornton, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $10,383 to $78,476 per year for indexed programs. Thornton has a population of about 142,878. Median household income is $100,985 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $166,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Thornton

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

Front Range Community College

Westminster, CO 5.1 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,910
Avg net price $13,031/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Regis University

Denver, CO 10.2 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,105
Avg net price $18,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 12.6 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 13.4 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Denver

Denver, CO 16.8 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO 18.3 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,738
Avg net price $25,346/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,666
Out‑of‑state$44,918
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO 18.8 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,335
Avg net price $28,690/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,914
Out‑of‑state$45,824
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton, CO 22.0 miles from Thornton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,341
Avg net price $11,571/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Thornton

Thornton is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $166,140 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $157,032
Biochemists and Biophysicists N/A CO statewide –
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $100,770 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $95,246
Mathematicians $86,020 CO statewide $81,304
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $85,440 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $80,756
Engineers, All Other $131,740 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $124,518
Software Developers $137,610 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $130,066
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $79,230 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $74,887

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.

Thornton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 142,878 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $100,985 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Thornton-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Thornton, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Thornton. The closest is Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO (5.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Denver (16.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Thornton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Thornton are: Physicists ($166,140), Software Developers ($137,610), Engineers, All Other ($131,740). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Northglenn instead of Thornton?

Northglenn, CO is 1.9 miles from Thornton 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 Thornton an affordable place to study physics?

Thornton’s median household income of $100,985 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Thornton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Thornton

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

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 Colorado: Online Programs (2026)