Best Physics Schools Near Beaufort, SC (2026)

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

Beaufort, South Carolina has 4 accredited schools offering physics programs. Beaufort has a population of about 13,660. Median household income is $59,454 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In South Carolina, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $138,400 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Beaufort

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

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

Sort:
#1

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, SC 49.9 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,085
Avg net price $20,723/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 50.5 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,416
Avg net price $18,960/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, SC 72.9 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
29.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,262
Avg net price $18,097/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 108.5 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Francis Marion University

Florence, SC 134.9 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,888
Avg net price $11,386/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, SC 135.3 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,258
Avg net price $13,966/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Presbyterian College

Clinton, SC 154.7 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
52.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,194
Avg net price $20,528/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Wofford College

Spartanburg, SC 187.2 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,964
Avg net price $18,732/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Physics Wages Near Beaufort

Beaufort is part of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area (BLS area code 25940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $138,400 SC statewide $141,224
Biochemists and Biophysicists $109,080 SC statewide $111,306
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $81,210 SC statewide $82,867
Mathematicians N/A SC statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $82,240 SC statewide $83,918
Engineers, All Other $110,490 SC statewide $112,745
Software Developers $125,760 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $128,327
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $65,290 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $66,622

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.

Beaufort at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 13,660 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,454 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 38.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Beaufort-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Beaufort, SC?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering physics programs near Beaufort. The closest is Citadel Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, SC (49.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Carolina State University (72.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Beaufort?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Beaufort are: Physicists ($138,400), Software Developers ($125,760), Engineers, All Other ($110,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hilton Head Island instead of Beaufort?

Hilton Head Island, SC is 18.1 miles from Beaufort 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 Beaufort an affordable place to study physics?

Beaufort’s median household income of $59,454 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Beaufort while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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 Beaufort

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

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 South Carolina: Online Programs (2026)