Best Physics Schools Near Appleton, WI (2026)

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

Appleton, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $56,982 to $69,849 per year for indexed programs. Appleton has a population of about 74,873. Median household income is $77,450 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Wisconsin, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $173,120 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Appleton

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

Lawrence University

Appleton, WI 1.2 miles from Appleton
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 64%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,789
Avg net price $23,401/yr
Tuition
In‑state$56,982
Out‑of‑state$56,982
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Physics Wages Near Appleton

Appleton is part of the Appleton, WI metro area (BLS area code 11540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $173,120 WI statewide $187,359
Biochemists and Biophysicists $106,480 WI statewide $115,238
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $89,630 WI statewide $97,002
Mathematicians N/A WI statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $85,870 WI statewide $92,933
Engineers, All Other $110,360 WI statewide $119,437
Software Developers $102,970 Appleton, WI $111,439
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,600 Appleton, WI $66,667

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.

Appleton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 74,873 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,450 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Appleton-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Appleton, WI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Appleton. The closest is Lawrence University in Appleton, WI (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (60.9 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Appleton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Appleton are: Physicists ($173,120), Engineers, All Other ($110,360), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($106,480). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Neenah instead of Appleton?

Neenah, WI is 8.7 miles from Appleton 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 Appleton an affordable place to study physics?

Appleton’s median household income of $77,450 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Appleton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Appleton

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

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.

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