Best Political Science Schools Near Apex, NC (2026)

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

Apex, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs. Apex has a population of about 67,765. Median household income is $138,442 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 66.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Management Analysts at a median $96,820 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Apex

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

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 11.1 miles from Apex
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 11.5 miles from Apex
  • 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

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#3

Shaw University

Raleigh, NC 13.2 miles from Apex
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,409
Avg net price $16,512/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 13.6 miles from Apex
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,643
Avg net price $21,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Saint Augustine's University

Raleigh, NC 14.3 miles from Apex
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,730
Avg net price $24,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 31%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 16.6 miles from Apex
  • 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

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#7

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 17.3 miles from Apex
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Duke University

Durham, NC 19.5 miles from Apex
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina political science page.

Political Science Wages Near Apex

Apex is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). 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)
Political Scientists N/A NC statewide –
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $78,760 NC statewide $80,204
Management Analysts $96,820 Raleigh-Cary, NC $98,595
Public Relations Specialists $68,790 Raleigh-Cary, NC $70,051
Survey Researchers $96,560 NC statewide $98,330
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $61,880 Raleigh-Cary, NC $63,014
Compliance Officers $79,570 Raleigh-Cary, NC $81,029
Social and Community Service Managers $85,850 Raleigh-Cary, NC $87,424

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.

Apex at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 67,765 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $138,442 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 66.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Apex-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Apex, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Apex. The closest is Meredith College in Raleigh, NC (11.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Augustine’s University (14.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Apex are: Management Analysts ($96,820), Survey Researchers ($96,560), Social and Community Service Managers ($85,850). 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 Cary instead of Apex?

Cary, NC is 4.8 miles from Apex 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 Apex an affordable place to study political science?

Apex’s median household income of $138,442 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Apex 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 Political Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Apex

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

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 Political Science Schools in North Carolina (2026)