Best Physics Schools Near Birmingham, MI (2026)

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

Birmingham, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. Birmingham has a population of about 21,612. Median household income is $153,125 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 76.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $199,170 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Birmingham

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

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, MI 9.0 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,612
Avg net price $9,120/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI 14.9 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,493
Avg net price $12,766/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 160

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Michigan-Dearborn

Dearborn, MI 15.7 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,649
Avg net price $9,492/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 93

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI 29.1 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,793
Avg net price $15,407/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 156

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI 32.2 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,648
Avg net price $13,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 206

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Michigan-Flint

Flint, MI 40.6 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,230
Avg net price $7,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Kettering University

Flint, MI 41.0 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $94,823
Avg net price $34,660/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Adrian College

Adrian, MI 62.1 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,504
Avg net price $25,368/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Birmingham

Birmingham is part of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (BLS area code 19820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $199,170 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $198,574
Biochemists and Biophysicists $104,160 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $103,848
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $104,880 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $104,566
Mathematicians $65,510 MI statewide $65,314
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $127,070 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $126,690
Engineers, All Other $126,250 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $125,872
Software Developers $130,760 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $130,369
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $77,520 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $77,288

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.

Birmingham at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 21,612 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $153,125 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 76.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Birmingham-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Birmingham, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Birmingham. The closest is Oakland University in Rochester Hills, MI (9.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (32.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Birmingham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Birmingham are: Physicists ($199,170), Software Developers ($130,760), Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($127,070). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Royal Oak instead of Birmingham?

Royal Oak, MI is 4.1 miles from Birmingham 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 Birmingham an affordable place to study physics?

Birmingham’s median household income of $153,125 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Birmingham while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Birmingham

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

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 Michigan: Online Programs (2026)