Best Physics Schools Near Portage, MI (2026)

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

Portage, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $35,056 to $45,218 per year for indexed programs. Portage has a population of about 49,015. Median household income is $79,529 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Software Developers at a median $118,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Portage

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

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 5.8 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo, MI 6.3 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
67.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,590
Avg net price $19,072/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Andrews University

Berrien Springs, MI 42.5 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,187
Avg net price $12,547/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,056
Out‑of‑state$35,056
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Albion College

Albion, MI 43.4 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,799
Avg net price $14,301/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Hope College

Holland, MI 48.2 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,427
Avg net price $27,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, MI 50.4 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
71.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,375
Avg net price $22,992/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,350
Out‑of‑state$39,350
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#8

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI 53.0 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,732
Avg net price $19,353/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 60

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 Portage

Portage is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area (BLS area code 28020). 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 $94,520 MI statewide $99,705
Biochemists and Biophysicists $63,630 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $67,120
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $109,090 MI statewide $115,074
Mathematicians $65,510 MI statewide $69,103
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $103,210 MI statewide $108,871
Engineers, All Other $104,190 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $109,905
Software Developers $118,100 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $124,578
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $72,410 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $76,382

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.

Portage at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 49,015 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $79,529 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 48.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Portage-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Portage, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Portage. The closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (5.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Notre Dame (47.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Portage?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Portage are: Software Developers ($118,100), Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($109,090), Engineers, All Other ($104,190). 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 Kalamazoo instead of Portage?

Kalamazoo, MI is 5.2 miles from Portage 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 Portage an affordable place to study physics?

Portage’s median household income of $79,529 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portage 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 Portage

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

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)