Best Physics Schools Near Elkhart, IN (2026)

Elkhart, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $35,056 to $45,218 per year for indexed programs. Elkhart has a population of about 53,726. Median household income is $47,885 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Engineers, All Other at a median $118,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Physics Schools to Elkhart

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

Indiana University-South Bend

South Bend, IN 13.5 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,947
Avg net price $8,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN 14.3 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $99,980
Avg net price $26,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN 15.3 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,354
Avg net price $25,292/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN 57.9 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,191
Avg net price $18,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN 59.4 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
40.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,872
Avg net price $13,171/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,532
Out‑of‑state$22,887
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN 78.4 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,318
Avg net price $6,079/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,675
Out‑of‑state$16,094
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion

Marion, IN 82.6 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,986
Avg net price $22,866/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN 100.4 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,424
Avg net price $14,600/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 198

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Physics Wages Near Elkhart

Elkhart is part of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area (BLS area code 21140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $105,940 IN statewide $117,320
Biochemists and Biophysicists N/A IN statewide
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $102,970 IN statewide $114,031
Mathematicians $88,050 IN statewide $97,508
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $103,680 IN statewide $114,817
Engineers, All Other $118,930 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $131,705
Software Developers $101,710 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $112,636
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $64,970 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $71,949

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.


Elkhart at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 53,726 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,885 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 17.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 90.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Elkhart-Area Cities With Physics Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Elkhart, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Elkhart. The closest is Indiana University-South Bend in South Bend, IN (13.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Western Michigan University (44.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Elkhart?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Elkhart are: Engineers, All Other ($118,930), Physicists ($105,940), Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($103,680). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Goshen instead of Elkhart?

Goshen, IN is 10.6 miles from Elkhart 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 Elkhart an affordable place to study physics?

Elkhart’s median household income of $47,885 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elkhart while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Elkhart

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

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.