Best Philosophy Schools Near Wilmington, NC (2026)

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

Wilmington, North Carolina has 2 accredited schools offering philosophy programs. Wilmington has a population of about 118,578. Median household income is $63,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wilmington, NC metro area, the top-earning philosophy-related role is Lawyers at a median $109,620 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Philosophy Schools to Wilmington

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

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC 85.1 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,050
Avg net price $24,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 100.9 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 117.6 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Wake Forest, NC 127.5 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Avg net price $13,090/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 134.8 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Duke University

Durham, NC 137.3 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
82.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,800
Avg net price $29,612/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Elon University

Elon, NC 159.6 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,545
Avg net price $41,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 168.2 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,160
Avg net price $10,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina philosophy page.

Philosophy Wages Near Wilmington

Wilmington is part of the Wilmington, NC metro area (BLS area code 48900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary $90,750 Wilmington, NC $94,139
Writers and Authors $47,940 Wilmington, NC $49,730
Lawyers $109,620 Wilmington, NC $113,714
Clergy $57,190 Wilmington, NC $59,326
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $57,980 Wilmington, NC $60,145
Editors $73,740 NC statewide $76,494
Management Analysts $86,960 Wilmington, NC $90,207

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.

Wilmington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 118,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,900 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 45.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Philosophy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited philosophy schools are near Wilmington, NC?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering philosophy programs near Wilmington. The closest is Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC (70.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Methodist University (85.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying philosophy roles near Wilmington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying philosophy-related roles near Wilmington are: Lawyers ($109,620), Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary ($90,750), Management Analysts ($86,960). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Jacksonville instead of Wilmington?

Jacksonville, NC is 45.6 miles from Wilmington and has its own set of local philosophy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Wilmington an affordable place to study philosophy?

Wilmington’s median household income of $63,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Philosophy Programs

Other Programs Available in Wilmington

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

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 Philosophy Schools in North Carolina (2026)