Best Physics Schools Near Springfield, IL (2026)

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

Springfield, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $16,144 to $34,309 per year for indexed programs. Springfield has a population of about 113,714. Median household income is $65,537 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $137,140 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Springfield

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

Illinois College

Jacksonville, IL 31.6 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,575
Avg net price $18,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Millikin University

Decatur, IL 36.3 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,262
Avg net price $21,989/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL 60.7 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,871
Avg net price $28,199/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 61.9 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
71.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,117
Avg net price $19,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 112

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Greenville University

Greenville, IL 62.0 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,827
Avg net price $19,533/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 64.0 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#8

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL 70.0 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,346
Avg net price $14,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 70

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 Springfield

Springfield is part of the Springfield, IL metro area (BLS area code 44100). 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 IL statewide $147,940
Biochemists and Biophysicists $87,010 IL statewide $93,862
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $94,900 IL statewide $102,373
Mathematicians $130,970 IL statewide $141,284
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $112,280 IL statewide $121,122
Engineers, All Other $111,930 IL statewide $120,744
Software Developers $104,550 Springfield, IL $112,783
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $72,510 Springfield, IL $78,220

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.

Springfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 113,714 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,537 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Springfield-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Springfield, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Springfield. The closest is Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL (31.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Greenville University (62.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Springfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Springfield are: Physicists ($137,140), Mathematicians ($130,970), Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($112,280). 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 Jacksonville instead of Springfield?

Jacksonville, IL is 30.9 miles from Springfield 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 Springfield an affordable place to study physics?

Springfield’s median household income of $65,537 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Springfield 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 Springfield

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

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)