Best Physics Schools Near Rocky Mount, NC (2026)

Rocky Mount, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. Rocky Mount has a population of about 54,175. Median household income is $52,927 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $174,180 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Physics Schools to Rocky Mount

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer physics programs near Rocky Mount, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rocky Mount 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 Rocky Mount. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 34.9 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 50.3 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 61.2 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Duke University

Durham, NC 63.4 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
82.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,800
Avg net price $29,612/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 69.8 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Elon University

Elon, NC 95.4 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,545
Avg net price $41,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, NC 110.3 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,440
Avg net price $10,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 112.2 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,160
Avg net price $10,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Physics Wages Near Rocky Mount

Rocky Mount is part of the Rocky Mount, NC metro area (BLS area code 40580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $174,180 NC statewide $197,932
Biochemists and Biophysicists $82,220 NC statewide $93,432
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $87,370 NC statewide $99,284
Mathematicians N/A NC statewide
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $91,560 NC statewide $104,045
Engineers, All Other $100,910 Rocky Mount, NC $114,670
Software Developers $130,600 Rocky Mount, NC $148,409
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $47,770 Rocky Mount, NC $54,284

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.


Rocky Mount at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 54,175 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,927 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Rocky Mount-Area Cities With Physics Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Rocky Mount, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Rocky Mount. The closest is East Carolina University in Greenville, NC (34.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (69.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Rocky Mount?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Rocky Mount are: Physicists ($174,180), Software Developers ($130,600), Engineers, All Other ($100,910). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wilson instead of Rocky Mount?

Wilson, NC is 17.7 miles from Rocky Mount 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 Rocky Mount an affordable place to study physics?

Rocky Mount’s median household income of $52,927 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rocky Mount while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Rocky Mount

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.