Best Space Studies Schools Near Killeen, TX (2026)

Killeen, Texas has 3 accredited schools offering space studies programs, with tuition ranging from $58,100 to $74,226 per year for indexed programs. Killeen has a population of about 156,144. Median household income is $58,339 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning space studies-related role is Physicists at a median $184,040 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Space Studies Schools to Killeen

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

Baylor University

Waco, TX 48.4 miles from Killeen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 51%
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,793
Avg net price $41,104/yr
Tuition
In‑state$58,100
Out‑of‑state$58,100
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 141

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

#2

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX 54.8 miles from Killeen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,121
Avg net price $19,857/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX 88.4 miles from Killeen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,097
Avg net price $21,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX 114.9 miles from Killeen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,424
Avg net price $36,660/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Rice University

Houston, TX 167.4 miles from Killeen
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 8%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,718
Avg net price $13,370/yr
Tuition
In‑state$64,144
Out‑of‑state$64,144
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

#6

Lee College

Baytown, TX 188.3 miles from Killeen
  • 2 year
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,178
Avg net price $6,879/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Space Studies Wages Near Killeen

Killeen is part of the Killeen-Temple, TX metro area (BLS area code 28660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Astronomers N/A TX statewide
Physicists $184,040 TX statewide $202,020
Aerospace Engineers $130,270 TX statewide $142,997
Natural Sciences Managers $119,430 Killeen-Temple, TX $131,098
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $84,990 TX statewide $93,293
Engineers, All Other $104,990 Killeen-Temple, TX $115,247
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $105,080 TX statewide $115,346
Physical Scientists, All Other $100,920 TX statewide $110,779

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.


Killeen at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 156,144 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $58,339 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Killeen-Area Cities With Space Studies Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited space studies schools are near Killeen, TX?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering space studies programs near Killeen. The closest is Baylor University in Waco, TX (48.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Texas A&M University-College Station (88.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying space studies-related roles near Killeen are: Physicists ($184,040), Aerospace Engineers ($130,270), Natural Sciences Managers ($119,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Harker Heights instead of Killeen?

Harker Heights, TX is 5.1 miles from Killeen 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 Killeen an affordable place to study space studies?

Killeen’s median household income of $58,339 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Killeen while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Killeen

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

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.