Best Physics Schools Near McAllen, TX (2026)

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

McAllen, Texas has 2 accredited schools offering physics programs. McAllen has a population of about 143,789. Median household income is $60,165 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $184,040 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to McAllen

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

South Texas College

McAllen, TX 0.5 miles from McAllen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,788
Avg net price $1,751/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near McAllen

McAllen is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area (BLS area code 32580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $184,040 TX statewide $214,249
Biochemists and Biophysicists $97,510 TX statewide $113,516
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $97,760 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $113,807
Mathematicians N/A TX statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $84,990 TX statewide $98,941
Engineers, All Other $85,000 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $98,952
Software Developers $116,120 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $135,180
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,500 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $72,759

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.

McAllen at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 143,789 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $60,165 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 85.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other McAllen-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near McAllen, TX?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering physics programs near McAllen. The closest is South Texas College in McAllen, TX (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (7.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near McAllen?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near McAllen are: Physicists ($184,040), Software Developers ($116,120), Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($97,760). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pharr instead of McAllen?

Pharr, TX is 4.9 miles from McAllen 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 McAllen an affordable place to study physics?

McAllen’s median household income of $60,165 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McAllen while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 McAllen

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

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 Texas: Online Programs (2026)