Best Physics Schools Near Dubuque, IA (2026)

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

Dubuque, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $35,860 to $50,903 per year for indexed programs. Dubuque has a population of about 59,271. Median household income is $64,985 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $178,110 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Dubuque

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

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA 60.2 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
52.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,125
Avg net price $18,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 71.9 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 199

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Luther College

Decorah, IA 78.9 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,850
Avg net price $23,097/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 89.3 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,177
Avg net price $15,901/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA 91.7 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,201
Avg net price $32,908/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA 115.6 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
72.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,830
Avg net price $17,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Central College

Pella, IA 136.9 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
49.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,317
Avg net price $23,377/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 154.0 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 169

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Dubuque

Dubuque is part of the Dubuque, IA metro area (BLS area code 20220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $178,110 IA statewide $204,021
Biochemists and Biophysicists $101,090 IA statewide $115,796
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $104,270 IA statewide $119,439
Mathematicians N/A IA statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $76,850 IA statewide $88,030
Engineers, All Other $103,090 IA statewide $118,087
Software Developers $105,360 Dubuque, IA $120,687
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,200 Dubuque, IA $68,958

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.

Dubuque at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 59,271 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,985 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 33.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Dubuque-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Dubuque, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Dubuque. The closest is Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA (60.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Edgewood College (75.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Dubuque?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Dubuque are: Physicists ($178,110), Software Developers ($105,360), Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($104,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Clinton instead of Dubuque?

Clinton, IA is 51.3 miles from Dubuque 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 Dubuque an affordable place to study physics?

Dubuque’s median household income of $64,985 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dubuque while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Dubuque

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

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 Iowa: Online Programs (2026)