Carter Wilson was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 31, 1950, with the name Carter Andrew Smith. Just after his birth, his mother divorced his biological father, Benjamin Koyton. Carter Smith's name was legally changed to Carter Wilson in 1963, after he was adopted by his stepfather, Julian Bryce Wilson. Carter grew up in a family of educators. His mother, Beulah Smith Wilson was a teacher at St. Philip's Lutheran School. His grandfather, Cornelius Smith and his step-grandfather, Frank Bryce Wilson, were also educators. Carter Wilson graduated from high school in 1968. He earned his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Wayne State University, and over twenty years at the University of Toledo. In 2013, he was hired by Northern Michigan University as a professor and department head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.
