[2] He was granted a John Hay Whitney Fellowship and completed his education at Harvard University, graduating with a master's degree in 1958 and a doctorate the following year.
[6] Kilson also compiled works relating to comparative politics,[7] focusing within the field on African studies.
[8][9] Kilson's 1966 book, Political Change in a West African State: A Study of the Modernization Process in Sierra Leone, was reviewed extensively.
In 2002, he wrote a review for The Black Commentator critical of Randall Kennedy for the title of his book, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.
[4][15] His alma mater Lincoln University had planned to present Kilson with an honorary degree at its commencement ceremony in spring 2019.