Best Physics Schools Near Suffolk, VA (2026)

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

Suffolk, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $16,828 to $51,038 per year for indexed programs. Suffolk has a population of about 96,638. Median household income is $90,089 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning physics-related role is Mathematicians at a median $148,030 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Suffolk

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

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA 22.7 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $14,638/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, VA 23.5 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,666
Avg net price $15,282/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA 26.6 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 86%
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,509
Avg net price $23,015/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,828
Out‑of‑state$31,178
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hampton University

Hampton, VA 27.9 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,159
Avg net price $25,319/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA 39.9 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
85.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 34%
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,490
Avg net price $19,096/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,914
Out‑of‑state$51,038
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 74.1 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA 78.5 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,178
Avg net price $31,309/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Longwood University

Farmville, VA 105.5 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,347
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Suffolk

Suffolk is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area (BLS area code 47260). 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 $110,930 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $113,309
Biochemists and Biophysicists $105,780 VA statewide $108,049
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $98,470 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $100,582
Mathematicians $148,030 VA statewide $151,205
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $98,920 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $101,042
Engineers, All Other $138,590 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $141,563
Software Developers $129,090 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $131,859
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $76,790 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $78,437

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.

Suffolk at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 96,638 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $90,089 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Suffolk-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Suffolk, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Suffolk. The closest is Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA (22.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is William & Mary (39.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Suffolk?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Suffolk are: Mathematicians ($148,030), Engineers, All Other ($138,590), Software Developers ($129,090). 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 Chesapeake instead of Suffolk?

Chesapeake, VA is 18.7 miles from Suffolk 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 Suffolk an affordable place to study physics?

Suffolk’s median household income of $90,089 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Suffolk 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 Suffolk

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

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)