Best Political Science Schools Near Aiken, SC (2026)

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

Aiken, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs. Aiken has a population of about 32,334. Median household income is $69,837 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Management Analysts at a median $87,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Aiken

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

Aiken, SC 3.7 miles from Aiken
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,603
Avg net price $11,641/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Aiken

Aiken is part of the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area (BLS area code 12260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A SC statewide –
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $78,650 SC statewide $85,582
Management Analysts $87,920 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $95,669
Public Relations Specialists $74,660 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $81,240
Survey Researchers N/A SC statewide –
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $51,560 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $56,104
Compliance Officers $64,260 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $69,924
Social and Community Service Managers $76,020 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $82,720

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.

Aiken at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 32,334 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $69,837 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 45.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Aiken-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Aiken, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Aiken. The closest is University of South Carolina Aiken in Aiken, SC (3.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Carolina-Columbia (51.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Aiken are: Management Analysts ($87,920), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($78,650), Social and Community Service Managers ($76,020). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Augusta instead of Aiken?

North Augusta, SC is 13.1 miles from Aiken 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 Aiken an affordable place to study political science?

Aiken’s median household income of $69,837 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aiken while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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 Aiken

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

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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