Best Physics Schools Near Washington, DC (2026)

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

Washington, District of Columbia has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $35,810 to $88,741 per year for indexed programs. Washington has a population of about 672,079. Median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $171,580 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Washington

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

Howard University

Washington, DC 1.2 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 41%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,066
Avg net price $50,539/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,810
Out‑of‑state$35,810
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

George Washington University

Washington, DC 1.8 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,873
Avg net price $36,586/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 194

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC 2.2 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,250
Avg net price $29,561/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 93

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Georgetown University

Washington, DC 3.1 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 13%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $103,494
Avg net price $40,815/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,017
Out‑of‑state$68,017
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 128

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

American University

Washington, DC 4.5 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 79%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,370
Avg net price $41,943/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 119

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Washington

Washington is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to District of Columbia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $171,580 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $157,557
Biochemists and Biophysicists $103,660 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $95,188
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $95,430 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $87,631
Mathematicians $164,470 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $151,028
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $117,600 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $107,989
Engineers, All Other $151,340 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $138,972
Software Developers $154,930 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $142,268
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $80,300 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $73,737

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.

Washington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 672,079 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $106,287 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 63.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Washington-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Washington, DC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Washington. The closest is Howard University in Washington, DC (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is American University (4.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Washington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Washington are: Physicists ($171,580), Mathematicians ($164,470), Software Developers ($154,930). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with District of Columbia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Alexandria instead of Washington?

Alexandria, VA is 7.0 miles from Washington 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 Washington an affordable place to study physics?

Washington’s median household income of $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Washington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and District of Columbia 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 Washington

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

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 District of Columbia (2026)