Best Political Science Schools Near Chapel Hill, NC (2026)

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

Chapel Hill, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs. Chapel Hill has a population of about 59,889. Median household income is $85,825 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 77.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Management Analysts at a median $126,110 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Chapel Hill

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

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 1.3 miles from Chapel Hill
  • 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

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

Political Science Wages Near Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area (BLS area code 20500). 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 $80,697
Management Analysts $126,110 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $129,211
Public Relations Specialists $76,970 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $78,863
Survey Researchers $96,560 NC statewide $98,934
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $52,500 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $53,791
Compliance Officers $83,780 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $85,840
Social and Community Service Managers $81,940 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $83,955

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.

Chapel Hill at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 59,889 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $85,825 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 77.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Chapel Hill-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Chapel Hill, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Chapel Hill. The closest is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC (1.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is North Carolina State University at Raleigh (22.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Chapel Hill?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Chapel Hill are: Management Analysts ($126,110), Survey Researchers ($96,560), Compliance Officers ($83,780). 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 Carrboro instead of Chapel Hill?

Carrboro, NC is 2.7 miles from Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill an affordable place to study political science?

Chapel Hill’s median household income of $85,825 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill

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

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.

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