Best Space Studies Schools Near Philadelphia, PA (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering space studies programs, with tuition ranging from $65,920 to $83,250 per year for indexed programs. Philadelphia has a population of about 1,582,432. Median household income is $60,698 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning space studies-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $172,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Space Studies Schools to Philadelphia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer space studies programs near Philadelphia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Haverford College

Haverford, PA 9.1 miles from Philadelphia
  • 4 year
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,966
Avg net price $25,314/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA 9.6 miles from Philadelphia
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
65.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,217
Avg net price $31,759/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,920
Out‑of‑state$65,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 11.1 miles from Philadelphia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $100,423
Avg net price $43,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA 13.6 miles from Philadelphia
  • 4 year
73.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,257
Avg net price $23,149/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA 43.4 miles from Philadelphia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $105,584
Avg net price $36,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA 62.8 miles from Philadelphia
  • 4 year
63.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,124
Avg net price $36,425/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Lycoming College

Williamsport, PA 130.0 miles from Philadelphia
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,210
Avg net price $19,140/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 153.6 miles from Philadelphia
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $32,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 214

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania space studies page.

Space Studies Wages Near Philadelphia

Philadelphia is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Astronomers N/A PA statewide –
Physicists $164,850 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $160,673
Aerospace Engineers $133,940 PA statewide $130,546
Natural Sciences Managers $172,900 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $168,519
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $82,980 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $80,877
Engineers, All Other $97,590 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $95,117
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $128,690 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $125,429
Physical Scientists, All Other $137,220 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $133,743

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.

Philadelphia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 1,582,432 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $60,698 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 34.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Philadelphia-Area Cities With Space Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited space studies schools are near Philadelphia, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering space studies programs near Philadelphia. The closest is Haverford College in Haverford, PA (9.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Princeton University (34.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying space studies roles near Philadelphia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying space studies-related roles near Philadelphia are: Natural Sciences Managers ($172,900), Physicists ($164,850), Physical Scientists, All Other ($137,220). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Camden instead of Philadelphia?

Camden, NJ is 5.1 miles from Philadelphia and has its own set of local space studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Philadelphia an affordable place to study space studies?

Philadelphia’s median household income of $60,698 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Philadelphia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Space Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Philadelphia

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

Data verified: September 7, 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 Space Studies Schools in Pennsylvania (2026)