Best Physics Schools Near Beckley, WV (2026)

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

Beckley, West Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs. Beckley has a population of about 16,977. Median household income is $39,939 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In West Virginia, the top-earning physics-related role is Engineers, All Other at a median $118,800 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Beckley

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

Marshall University

Huntington, WV 80.6 miles from Beckley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,354
Avg net price $7,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

West Virginia Wesleyan College

Buckhannon, WV 98.2 miles from Beckley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,593
Avg net price $18,083/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV 143.8 miles from Beckley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,939
Avg net price $15,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Beckley

Beckley is part of the Beckley, WV metro area (BLS area code 13220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists N/A WV statewide –
Biochemists and Biophysicists N/A WV statewide –
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $98,320 WV statewide $111,222
Mathematicians N/A WV statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $80,690 WV statewide $91,278
Engineers, All Other $118,800 WV statewide $134,389
Software Developers $100,840 Beckley, WV $114,072
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $54,960 Beckley, WV $62,172

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.

Beckley at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 16,977 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $39,939 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Beckley-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Beckley, WV?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Beckley. The closest is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA (56.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Washington and Lee University (95.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Beckley?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Beckley are: Engineers, All Other ($118,800), Software Developers ($100,840), Physics Teachers, Postsecondary ($98,320). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bluefield instead of Beckley?

Bluefield, WV is 36.5 miles from Beckley 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 Beckley an affordable place to study physics?

Beckley’s median household income of $39,939 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Beckley while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West 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 Beckley

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

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 West Virginia: Online Programs (2026)