Best Physics Schools Near Hilton Head Island, SC (2026)

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

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina has 4 accredited schools offering physics programs. Hilton Head Island has a population of about 37,805. Median household income is $96,715 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.3% 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 Hilton Head Island

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

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, SC 62.4 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 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 62.6 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 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

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#3

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, SC 90.6 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 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 125.9 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 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

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#5

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, SC 149.8 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 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

#6

Francis Marion University

Florence, SC 152.1 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 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

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#7

Presbyterian College

Clinton, SC 170.1 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 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 203.1 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 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

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

Physics Wages Near Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island 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.

Hilton Head Island at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 37,805 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $96,715 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 55.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Hilton Head Island-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Hilton Head Island, SC?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering physics programs near Hilton Head Island. The closest is Citadel Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, SC (62.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Carolina State University (90.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Hilton Head Island?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Hilton Head Island 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 Beaufort instead of Hilton Head Island?

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

Hilton Head Island’s median household income of $96,715 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Hilton Head Island:

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)