Best Physics Schools Near Sparks, NV (2026)

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

Sparks, Nevada has 3 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $1,288 to $13,901 per year for indexed programs. Sparks has a population of about 109,106. Median household income is $86,979 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Nevada, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $154,030 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Sparks

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

University of Nevada-Reno

Reno, NV 5.8 miles from Sparks
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,614
Avg net price $15,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 121

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV 345.9 miles from Sparks
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,037
Avg net price $10,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 127

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Sparks

Sparks is part of the Reno, NV metro area (BLS area code 39900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Nevada statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $154,030 NV statewide $152,505
Biochemists and Biophysicists $69,220 NV statewide $68,535
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $96,330 NV statewide $95,376
Mathematicians $102,890 NV statewide $101,871
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $115,650 Reno, NV $114,505
Engineers, All Other $99,310 Reno, NV $98,327
Software Developers $125,710 Reno, NV $124,465
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $72,960 Reno, NV $72,238

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.

Sparks at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 109,106 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $86,979 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.0 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Sparks-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Sparks, NV?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering physics programs near Sparks. The closest is University of Nevada-Reno in Reno, NV (5.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Folsom Lake College (98.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Sparks?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Sparks are: Physicists ($154,030), Software Developers ($125,710), Atmospheric and Space Scientists ($115,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Nevada statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Reno instead of Sparks?

Reno, NV is 7.4 miles from Sparks 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 Sparks an affordable place to study physics?

Sparks’s median household income of $86,979 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sparks while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Nevada 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 Sparks

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

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 Nevada: Online Programs (2026)