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Best Space Studies Schools Near Chapel Hill, NC (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Chapel Hill, North Carolina is home to about 59,889 residents. 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 space studies-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $183,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Space Studies Schools to Chapel Hill
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer space studies 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.
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)
Astronomers
N/A
NC statewide
–
Physicists
$174,180
NC statewide
$178,463
Aerospace Engineers
$122,930
NC statewide
$125,953
Natural Sciences Managers
$183,540
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$188,053
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
$91,560
NC statewide
$93,811
Engineers, All Other
$127,710
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$130,850
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
$102,980
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$105,512
Physical Scientists, All Other
$128,380
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$131,537
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 Space Studies Programs
What are the highest-paying space studies roles near Chapel Hill?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying space studies-related roles near Chapel Hill are: Natural Sciences Managers ($183,540), Physicists ($174,180), Physical Scientists, All Other ($128,380). 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 space studies 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 space studies?
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.
Data verified: September 7, 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.