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Best Physics Schools Near Butte, MT (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Butte, Montana has 2 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $8,460 to $33,671 per year for indexed programs. Butte has a population of about 30,584. In Montana, the top-earning physics-related role is Software Developers at a median $121,990 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Physics Schools to Butte
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer physics programs near Butte, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Butte 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:
BOCSCORE
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 Butte.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities · IPEDS · College Scorecard
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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Montana schools on the Montana physics page.
Physics Wages Near Butte
Occupation
Median Annual Wage (Montana, statewide)
Physicists
$103,800
Biochemists and Biophysicists
N/A
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
$98,050
Mathematicians
N/A
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
$108,890
Engineers, All Other
$97,470
Software Developers
$121,990
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$60,990
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.
How many accredited physics schools are near Butte, MT?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering physics programs near Butte. The closest is Montana State University in Bozeman, MT (79.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Montana (91.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying physics roles in Montana?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles in Montana are: Software Developers ($121,990), Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($108,890), Physicists ($103,800). Wages for Butte workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Helena instead of Butte?
Helena, MT is 56.8 miles from Butte 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.
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.
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.
