Best Physics Schools Near Meridian, ID (2026)

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

Meridian, Idaho has 3 accredited schools offering physics programs. Meridian has a population of about 124,865. Median household income is $98,686 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Idaho, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $135,150 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Meridian

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

Northwest Nazarene University

Nampa, ID 9.2 miles from Meridian
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,719
Avg net price $29,580/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Boise State University

Boise, ID 9.8 miles from Meridian
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,658
Avg net price $21,610/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 148

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

The College of Idaho

Caldwell, ID 14.2 miles from Meridian
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,473
Avg net price $19,481/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Idaho State University

Pocatello, ID 206.3 miles from Meridian
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,608
Avg net price $12,193/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Idaho

Moscow, ID 216.9 miles from Meridian
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,670
Avg net price $14,831/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 146

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Brigham Young University-Idaho

Rexburg, ID 230.9 miles from Meridian
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,406
Avg net price $8,221/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 129

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

North Idaho College

Coeur d'Alene, ID 281.0 miles from Meridian
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,081
Avg net price $10,575/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Meridian

Meridian is part of the Boise City, ID metro area (BLS area code 14260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Idaho statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $135,150 ID statewide $137,348
Biochemists and Biophysicists N/A ID statewide –
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $106,040 ID statewide $107,764
Mathematicians N/A ID statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $122,930 Boise City, ID $124,929
Engineers, All Other $135,020 Boise City, ID $137,215
Software Developers $131,590 Boise City, ID $133,730
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,140 Boise City, ID $62,134

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.

Meridian at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 124,865 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $98,686 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 44.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Meridian-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Meridian, ID?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering physics programs near Meridian. The closest is Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, ID (9.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The College of Idaho (14.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Meridian?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Meridian are: Physicists ($135,150), Engineers, All Other ($135,020), Software Developers ($131,590). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Idaho statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Eagle instead of Meridian?

Eagle, ID is 7.3 miles from Meridian 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 Meridian an affordable place to study physics?

Meridian’s median household income of $98,686 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Meridian while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Idaho 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 Meridian

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

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 Idaho: Online Programs (2026)