Best Physics Schools Near Elgin, IL (2026)

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

Elgin, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. Elgin has a population of about 114,106. Median household income is $88,316 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.0% 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 Elgin

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

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 16.3 miles from Elgin
  • 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

#2

North Central College

Naperville, IL 20.4 miles from Elgin
  • 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

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#3

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 21.4 miles from Elgin
  • 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

#4

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 21.7 miles from Elgin
  • 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

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#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 23.9 miles from Elgin
  • 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

#6

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 29.3 miles from Elgin
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,825
Avg net price $28,673/yr
Tuition
In‑state$56,402
Out‑of‑state$56,402
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 31.3 miles from Elgin
  • 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

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 32.4 miles from Elgin
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois physics page.

Physics Wages Near Elgin

Elgin 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.

Elgin at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 114,106 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $88,316 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Elgin-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Elgin, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Elgin. The closest is Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL (16.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northern Illinois University (23.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Elgin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Elgin 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 South Elgin instead of Elgin?

South Elgin, IL is 3.4 miles from Elgin 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 Elgin an affordable place to study physics?

Elgin’s median household income of $88,316 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elgin 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 Elgin

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

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)