Best Physics Schools Near Salem, MA (2026)

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

Salem, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $6,168 to $14,899 per year for indexed programs. Salem has a population of about 44,241. Median household income is $85,137 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Software Developers at a median $166,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Salem

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

Gordon College

Wenham, MA 6.7 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,119
Avg net price $24,883/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tufts University

Medford, MA 13.2 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,214
Avg net price $39,998/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA 14.4 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,372
Avg net price $20,111/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 14.6 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $101,817
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 174

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 15.3 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Boston University

Boston, MA 15.3 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,238
Avg net price $24,402/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,102
Out‑of‑state$68,102
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 228

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

University of Massachusetts-Boston

Boston, MA 15.4 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,865
Avg net price $17,707/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Merrimack College

North Andover, MA 15.6 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,584
Avg net price $37,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 86

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Physics Wages Near Salem

Salem is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $106,000 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $97,876
Biochemists and Biophysicists $131,550 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $121,468
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $128,640 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $118,781
Mathematicians $104,190 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $96,205
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $108,040 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $99,760
Engineers, All Other $133,940 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $123,675
Software Developers $166,090 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $153,361
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,850 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $91,274

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.

Salem at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,241 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $85,137 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 49.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Salem-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Salem, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Salem. The closest is Gordon College in Wenham, MA (6.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Harvard University (14.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Salem?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Salem are: Software Developers ($166,090), Engineers, All Other ($133,940), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($131,550). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Peabody instead of Salem?

Peabody, MA is 3.8 miles from Salem 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 Salem an affordable place to study physics?

Salem’s median household income of $85,137 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salem while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Salem

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

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 Massachusetts: Online Programs (2026)