Best Physics Schools Near Sioux City, IA (2026)

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

Sioux City, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $9,432 to $24,422 per year for indexed programs. Sioux City has a population of about 85,651. Median household income is $65,473 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.7% 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 Sioux City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer physics programs near Sioux City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Sioux City 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 Sioux City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Dordt University

Sioux Center, IA 42.1 miles from Sioux City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,559
Avg net price $25,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 143.9 miles from Sioux City
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#3

Drake University

Des Moines, IA 153.5 miles from Sioux City
  • 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

#4

Central College

Pella, IA 193.6 miles from Sioux City
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#5

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA 194.9 miles from Sioux City
  • 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

#6

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA 199.3 miles from Sioux City
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#7

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 200.2 miles from Sioux City
  • 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

#8

Luther College

Decorah, IA 238.9 miles from Sioux City
  • 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

Sponsored Ad

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

Physics Wages Near Sioux City

Sioux City is part of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area (BLS area code 43580). 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 $205,908
Biochemists and Biophysicists $101,090 IA statewide $116,867
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $104,270 IA statewide $120,543
Mathematicians N/A IA statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $76,850 IA statewide $88,844
Engineers, All Other $103,090 IA statewide $119,179
Software Developers $101,150 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD $116,936
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,510 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD $69,954

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.

Sioux City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 85,651 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,473 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Sioux City-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Sioux City, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Sioux City. The closest is University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD (33.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Creighton University (88.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Sioux City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Sioux City are: Physicists ($178,110), Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($104,270), Engineers, All Other ($103,090). 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 Norfolk instead of Sioux City?

Norfolk, NE is 61.6 miles from Sioux City 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 Sioux City an affordable place to study physics?

Sioux City’s median household income of $65,473 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sioux City 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 Sioux City

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

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)