Best Physics Schools Near Johnston, IA (2026)

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

Johnston, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. Johnston has a population of about 24,196. Median household income is $103,430 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $178,110 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Johnston

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

Drake University

Des Moines, IA 6.7 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,901
Avg net price $29,127/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 23.8 miles from Johnston
  • 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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#3

Central College

Pella, IA 45.6 miles from Johnston
  • 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

#4

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA 51.5 miles from Johnston
  • 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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#5

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 86.3 miles from Johnston
  • 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

#6

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA 95.8 miles from Johnston
  • 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

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#7

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA 108.0 miles from Johnston
  • 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

#8

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 112.6 miles from Johnston
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa physics page.

Physics Wages Near Johnston

Johnston is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $194,231
Biochemists and Biophysicists $83,790 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $91,374
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $104,270 IA statewide $113,708
Mathematicians N/A IA statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $76,850 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $83,806
Engineers, All Other $100,880 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $110,011
Software Developers $126,460 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $137,906
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,480 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $68,135

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.

Johnston at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,196 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $103,430 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Johnston-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Johnston, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Johnston. The closest is Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, IA (5.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grinnell College (51.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Johnston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Johnston are: Physicists ($178,110), Software Developers ($126,460), 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 Urbandale instead of Johnston?

Urbandale, IA is 4.6 miles from Johnston 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 Johnston an affordable place to study physics?

Johnston’s median household income of $103,430 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Johnston 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 Johnston

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

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)