Best Physics Schools Near Sanford, FL (2026)

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

Sanford, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $6,368 to $72,533 per year for indexed programs. Sanford has a population of about 62,292. Median household income is $62,877 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $225,390 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Sanford

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

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 13.7 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
80.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,308
Avg net price $10,411/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,368
Out‑of‑state$22,467
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Rollins College

Winter Park, FL 14.3 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
53.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,295
Avg net price $34,732/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Stetson University

DeLand, FL 17.1 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,642
Avg net price $19,372/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,410
Out‑of‑state$57,410
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach, FL 30.9 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
56.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,131
Avg net price $41,272/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL 63.8 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,137
Avg net price $35,639/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 85.5 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL 87.7 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,588
Avg net price $6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 172

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL 92.7 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,436
Avg net price $36,211/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,408
Out‑of‑state$34,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Sanford

Sanford is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area (BLS area code 36740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $225,390 FL statewide $222,278
Biochemists and Biophysicists $98,320 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $96,963
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $74,050 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $73,028
Mathematicians N/A FL statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $115,960 FL statewide $114,359
Engineers, All Other $115,210 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $113,619
Software Developers $129,620 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $127,830
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,540 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $59,704

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.

Sanford at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 62,292 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,877 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Sanford-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Sanford, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Sanford. The closest is University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL (13.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Florida Institute of Technology (63.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Sanford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Sanford are: Physicists ($225,390), Software Developers ($129,620), Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($115,960). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winter Springs instead of Sanford?

Winter Springs, FL is 6.9 miles from Sanford 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 Sanford an affordable place to study physics?

Sanford’s median household income of $62,877 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sanford while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Sanford

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

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 Florida: Online Programs (2026)