Best Physics Schools Near Lancaster, SC (2026)

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

Lancaster, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% 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 Lancaster

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

Columbia, SC 52.2 miles from Lancaster
  • 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

#2

Presbyterian College

Clinton, SC 64.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 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

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#3

Wofford College

Spartanburg, SC 67.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 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

#4

Francis Marion University

Florence, SC 74.1 miles from Lancaster
  • 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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#5

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, SC 84.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 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

#6

Bob Jones University

Greenville, SC 90.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,354
Avg net price $16,641/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Furman University

Greenville, SC 95.2 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,635
Avg net price $30,308/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Clemson University

Clemson, SC 116.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,513
Avg net price $22,253/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 136

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 Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). 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 $142,240
Biochemists and Biophysicists $98,820 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $101,562
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $108,070 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $111,069
Mathematicians N/A SC statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $82,240 SC statewide $84,522
Engineers, All Other $118,230 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $121,511
Software Developers $135,920 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $139,692
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,300 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $61,973

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 8,738 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,234 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 17.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Lancaster, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Lancaster. The closest is Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, NC (32.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Presbyterian College (64.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Lancaster are: Physicists ($138,400), Software Developers ($135,920), Engineers, All Other ($118,230). 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 Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study physics?

Lancaster’s median household income of $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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 Lancaster

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

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)