Best Physics Schools Near Fairfax, VA (2026)

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

Fairfax, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $35,810 to $88,741 per year for indexed programs. Fairfax has a population of about 24,478. Median household income is $132,774 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 62.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $171,580 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Fairfax

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

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 1.5 miles from Fairfax
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Fairfax

Fairfax is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $171,580 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $157,557
Biochemists and Biophysicists $103,660 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $95,188
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $95,430 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $87,631
Mathematicians $164,470 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $151,028
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $117,600 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $107,989
Engineers, All Other $151,340 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $138,972
Software Developers $154,930 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $142,268
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $80,300 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $73,737

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.

Fairfax at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,478 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $132,774 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 62.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fairfax-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Fairfax, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Fairfax. The closest is George Mason University in Fairfax, VA (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Howard University (15.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Fairfax?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Fairfax are: Physicists ($171,580), Mathematicians ($164,470), Software Developers ($154,930). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Herndon instead of Fairfax?

Herndon, VA is 9.3 miles from Fairfax 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 Fairfax an affordable place to study physics?

Fairfax’s median household income of $132,774 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fairfax while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Fairfax

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

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 Virginia: Online Programs (2026)