Best Physics Schools Near Olympia, WA (2026)

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

Olympia, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. Olympia has a population of about 55,583. Median household income is $76,930 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning physics-related role is Mathematicians at a median $162,280 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Olympia

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

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 22.6 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,990
Avg net price $19,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA 24.9 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
57.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,594
Avg net price $38,394/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 47.6 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,272
Avg net price $34,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA 48.9 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,506
Avg net price $24,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 50.6 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $14,091/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 234

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA 59.6 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
77.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $12,319/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 111.1 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,580
Avg net price $18,476/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA 118.7 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,569
Avg net price $21,193/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Olympia

Olympia is part of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area (BLS area code 36500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $134,790 WA statewide $129,981
Biochemists and Biophysicists $98,840 WA statewide $95,313
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $96,930 WA statewide $93,472
Mathematicians $162,280 WA statewide $156,490
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $94,400 WA statewide $91,032
Engineers, All Other $132,010 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $127,300
Software Developers $124,060 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $119,634
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $105,200 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $101,446

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.

Olympia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 55,583 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $76,930 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 50.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Olympia-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Olympia, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Olympia. The closest is Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA (22.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Seattle Campus (50.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Olympia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Olympia are: Mathematicians ($162,280), Physicists ($134,790), Engineers, All Other ($132,010). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Tumwater instead of Olympia?

Tumwater, WA is 3.6 miles from Olympia 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 Olympia an affordable place to study physics?

Olympia’s median household income of $76,930 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Olympia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Olympia

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

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 Washington: Online Programs (2026)