Best Political Science Schools Near Wilmington, DE (2026)

Wilmington, Delaware has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs. Wilmington has a population of about 71,124. Median household income is $55,269 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $104,120 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Political Science Schools to Wilmington

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer political science 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 โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Wilmington University

New Castle, DE 4.8 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,844
Avg net price $15,644/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Delaware

Newark, DE 12.5 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,950
Avg net price $17,799/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 179

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Delaware State University

Dover, DE 37.9 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,307
Avg net price $13,910/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Delaware schools on the Delaware political science page.


Political Science Wages Near Wilmington

Wilmington 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 Delaware statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A DE statewide
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $104,120 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $101,481
Management Analysts $100,920 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $98,363
Public Relations Specialists $64,550 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $62,914
Survey Researchers N/A DE statewide
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $70,430 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $68,645
Compliance Officers $83,000 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $80,897
Social and Community Service Managers $80,810 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $78,762

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 71,124 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,269 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 33.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Political Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Wilmington, DE?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Wilmington. The closest is Salem Community College in Carneys Point, NJ (4.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Widener University (12.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Wilmington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Wilmington are: Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($104,120), Management Analysts ($100,920), Compliance Officers ($83,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Delaware statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Chester instead of Wilmington?

Chester, PA is 11.3 miles from Wilmington and has its own set of local political science 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 political science?

Wilmington’s median household income of $55,269 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Delaware 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 Political Science 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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.