Best Physics Schools Near Buffalo, NY (2026)

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

Buffalo, New York has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $8,752 to $31,536 per year for indexed programs. Buffalo has a population of about 276,397. Median household income is $48,050 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $175,060 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Buffalo

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

Canisius University

Buffalo, NY 1.6 miles from Buffalo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,681
Avg net price $17,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY 7.5 miles from Buffalo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,814
Avg net price $20,995/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,936
Out‑of‑state$31,536
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 193

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Buffalo

Buffalo is part of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area (BLS area code 15380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $175,060 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $182,735
Biochemists and Biophysicists $81,480 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $85,052
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $114,590 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $119,614
Mathematicians $126,950 NY statewide $132,516
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $117,540 NY statewide $122,693
Engineers, All Other $100,280 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $104,676
Software Developers $127,850 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $133,455
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $79,280 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $82,756

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.

Buffalo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 276,397 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,050 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 30.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Buffalo-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Buffalo, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Buffalo. The closest is Canisius University in Buffalo, NY (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is SUNY Brockport (50.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Buffalo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Buffalo are: Physicists ($175,060), Software Developers ($127,850), Mathematicians ($126,950). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Tonawanda instead of Buffalo?

North Tonawanda, NY is 10.0 miles from Buffalo 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 Buffalo an affordable place to study physics?

Buffalo’s median household income of $48,050 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Buffalo while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Buffalo

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

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.

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