Best Physics Schools Near Aurora, IL (2026)

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

Aurora, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $39,200 to $47,313 per year for indexed programs. Aurora has a population of about 179,867. Median household income is $90,109 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $137,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Aurora

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

North Central College

Naperville, IL 7.6 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 10.0 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,446
Avg net price $22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 12.3 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 15.4 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,099
Avg net price $17,028/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 20.0 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,462
Avg net price $24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 27.2 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 33.0 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 33.8 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Aurora

Aurora is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $137,140 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $132,375
Biochemists and Biophysicists $85,780 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $82,799
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $83,830 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $80,917
Mathematicians $130,970 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $126,419
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $133,490 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $128,851
Engineers, All Other $121,910 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $117,674
Software Developers $134,380 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $129,710
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,970 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $95,531

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.

Aurora at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 179,867 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $90,109 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Aurora-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Aurora, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Aurora. The closest is North Central College in Naperville, IL (7.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Elmhurst University (20.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Aurora?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Aurora are: Physicists ($137,140), Software Developers ($134,380), Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($133,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Batavia instead of Aurora?

Batavia, IL is 6.0 miles from Aurora 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 Aurora an affordable place to study physics?

Aurora’s median household income of $90,109 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aurora while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Aurora

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

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 Illinois: Online Programs (2026)