International Relations and National Security Studies

8,172 students earn a international relations and national security studies credential each year across 328 US colleges. Earnings below are the median for each school's graduates one and five years after finishing; debt is the median federal loan balance at completion.

Typical earnings, 1 year out: $38,250
Typical earnings, 5 years out: $65,402

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Bachelor's programs — top 100 of 309 colleges by graduate earnings

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, Pennsylvania24$77,3121 year out$77,668—2Stanford UniversityStanford, California61$76,1661 year out$128,687—3Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, Vermont48$68,3441 year out$116,041—4Middlebury Institute of International Studies at MontereyMonterey, California6$68,3441 year out$116,041—5University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania46$65,5591 year out$92,024$10,470 6Lafayette CollegeEaston, Pennsylvania25$58,4331 year out$89,758$16,620 7Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois28$58,3261 year out$75,031$19,234 8Tufts UniversityMedford, Massachusetts153$54,0791 year out$80,548$16,375 9Angelo State UniversitySan Angelo, Texas20$53,2461 year out—$11,066 10George Washington UniversityWashington, District of Columbia511$52,9331 year out$84,705$22,000 11University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California145$52,2621 year out$87,675$13,765 12University of San DiegoSan Diego, California33$50,9481 year out$68,437$24,100 13Georgetown UniversityWashington, District of Columbia283$50,5881 year out$80,731$17,500 14Brigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah42$50,5631 year out$94,047—15Fairfield UniversityFairfield, Connecticut4$49,2391 year out$75,046$27,000 16American Public University SystemCharles Town, West Virginia0$48,1421 year out$64,125$13,410 17Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana55$47,9561 year out$64,455$20,500 18American UniversityWashington, District of Columbia387$47,5511 year out$71,028$23,250 19William & MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia95$47,2701 year out$81,921$21,000 20University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, Virginia184$46,8701 year out$87,416$20,672 21Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-PrescottPrescott, Arizona92$46,8681 year out$69,283$22,901 22Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona BeachDaytona Beach, Florida—$46,8681 year out$69,283$22,901 23Fordham UniversityBronx, New York96$46,6531 year out$75,033$25,843 24Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island137$46,2841 year out$104,415$12,000 25Boston UniversityBoston, Massachusetts189$45,8701 year out$74,117$25,000 26Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, Pennsylvania138$45,8581 year out$67,400$25,000 27Pennsylvania State University-World CampusUniversity Park, Pennsylvania42$45,8581 year out$67,400$25,000 28Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh ValleyCenter Valley, Pennsylvania1$45,8581 year out$67,400$25,000 29Connecticut CollegeNew London, Connecticut15$45,5431 year out—$25,855 30Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, New Jersey62$45,4401 year out$64,432$22,500 31Hamilton CollegeClinton, New York25$45,3321 year out—$19,000 32Emory UniversityAtlanta, Georgia33$45,0221 year out$80,251$19,500 33James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, Virginia53$44,6671 year out$66,783$18,460 34George Mason UniversityFairfax, Virginia120$44,6441 year out$63,843$23,000 35Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia138$44,6381 year out$74,206$21,500 36Virginia Military InstituteLexington, Virginia56$44,4291 year out$79,025$21,500 37Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland80$44,0041 year out$91,204$12,000 38Norwich UniversityNorthfield, Vermont39$43,6211 year out$76,825$16,850 39Liberty UniversityLynchburg, Virginia33$43,5671 year out$65,865$21,750 40University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, Georgia34$43,5641 year out$61,391$20,500 41Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, South Carolina16$43,4281 year out—$21,375 42Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, Wisconsin30$43,2901 year out—$20,750 43Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, New York94$43,2491 year out$65,420$26,635 44Cal Poly Maritime AcademyVallejo, California0$42,9241 year out—$26,000 45University of DenverDenver, Colorado101$40,9231 year out$60,795$19,500 46Hobart William Smith CollegesGeneva, New York15$40,6481 year out—$26,000 47Wheaton CollegeWheaton, Illinois16$40,0841 year out$53,995$23,875 48Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania16$39,6301 year out$72,396$26,113 49University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia221$39,2751 year out$67,971$19,500 50Towson UniversityTowson, Maryland36$39,2081 year out$62,673$25,000 51California State University-ChicoChico, California10$39,0601 year out$51,736$15,095 52Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan110$38,8101 year out$75,882$24,766 53Miami University-OxfordOxford, Ohio42$38,7661 year out$61,057$21,977 54Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio133$38,5841 year out$65,732$19,500 55University of DelawareNewark, Delaware34$38,2501 year out$56,318$25,000 56Baylor UniversityWaco, Texas37$37,5071 year out$57,316$22,409 57Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, Indiana10$36,8891 year out—$22,600 58SUNY College at GeneseoGeneseo, New York14$36,7541 year out$68,963$21,519 59University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh, Wisconsin—$36,7261 year out—$25,450 60University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, California37$36,6691 year out$53,544$24,508 61University of IowaIowa City, Iowa22$36,3761 year out$68,946$26,030 62Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, Pennsylvania32$36,1471 year out$80,384$21,250 63Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, Indiana117$36,1001 year out$63,817$19,000 64Fairmont State UniversityFairmont, West Virginia36$35,9251 year out—$24,250 65Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, Michigan16$35,8021 year out$59,452$27,000 66DePaul UniversityChicago, Illinois31$35,7921 year out$55,741$21,250 67San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, California49$35,3611 year out$67,020$17,134 68University of MaineOrono, Maine14$35,3371 year out—$26,000 69The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama43$35,3241 year out$58,536$23,250 70Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, California50$35,2311 year out$84,200$19,275 71University of California-DavisDavis, California125$34,9491 year out$68,661$12,416 72The College of New JerseyEwing, New Jersey17$34,8411 year out$75,393$24,952 73Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, California37$34,5751 year out—$20,500 74Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, Georgia22$34,3431 year out$55,715$23,000 75University of New Hampshire-Main CampusDurham, New Hampshire14$34,0361 year out$69,297$27,000 76University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, South Carolina40$33,6121 year out$55,763$20,500 77Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, Virginia23$33,5811 year out$44,480$25,750 78Florida International UniversityMiami, Florida253$33,4171 year out$51,904$18,637 79Loyola University ChicagoChicago, Illinois7$32,6821 year out$55,884$21,500 80University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio28$32,5431 year out—$25,625 81Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida276$32,0981 year out$60,401$17,767 82Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, New York26$31,9561 year out$75,748$20,232 83University of MiamiCoral Gables, Florida25$31,8131 year out$76,506$17,250 84SUNY OneontaOneonta, New York3$31,4551 year out—$17,125 85Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, Ohio13$31,4341 year out—$25,500 86San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, California49$31,2541 year out$54,685$16,750 87University of South FloridaTampa, Florida64$30,9771 year out$55,427$18,250 88CUNY City CollegeNew York, New York49$30,6271 year out$60,089$13,337 89University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg, Virginia9$30,3571 year out$56,845$25,086 90University of IdahoMoscow, Idaho32$30,2611 year out$58,204$24,400 91Portland State UniversityPortland, Oregon19$30,2531 year out$36,229$24,250 92Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, Arizona18$29,9241 year out$55,790$20,632 93University of Nevada-RenoReno, Nevada28$29,5391 year out$52,794$23,437 94University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota43$28,5961 year out$55,760$21,167 95Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, Michigan21$28,2021 year out$39,625$19,000 96University of Puget SoundTacoma, Washington16$28,1761 year out$65,403$25,798 97Rollins CollegeWinter Park, Florida21$28,1131 year out$64,642$27,000 98Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, Georgia10$27,6641 year out$41,651$25,008 99University of California-RiversideRiverside, California64$27,0211 year out$56,758$18,914 100Eckerd CollegeSaint Petersburg, Florida6$26,5261 year out——

Associate programs — 8 colleges

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Santa Monica CollegeSanta Monica, California3—1 year out——2American River CollegeSacramento, California2—1 year out——3Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara, California2—1 year out——4Ventura CollegeVentura, California2—1 year out——5Cerritos CollegeNorwalk, California1—1 year out——6De Anza CollegeCupertino, California1—1 year out——7Sacramento City CollegeSacramento, California1—1 year out——8Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHarrisburg, Pennsylvania1—1 year out——

Certificate programs — 17 colleges

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, Indiana—$76,1201 year out$107,488$19,500 2University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, Massachusetts21—1 year out——3The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas10—1 year out——4Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, Indiana8—1 year out——5University of New Mexico-Main CampusAlbuquerque, New Mexico6—1 year out——6University of Wisconsin-OshkoshOshkosh, Wisconsin6—1 year out——7University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyBaltimore, Maryland5—1 year out——8Utah Valley UniversityOrem, Utah4—1 year out——9University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, Wisconsin4—1 year out——10Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, Michigan3—1 year out——11Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, Utah3—1 year out——12University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah3—1 year out——13Santa Monica CollegeSanta Monica, California2—1 year out——14Missouri Southern State UniversityJoplin, Missouri2—1 year out——15University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North Dakota1—1 year out——16Wright State University-Main CampusDayton, Ohio1—1 year out——17Lander UniversityGreenwood, South Carolina1—1 year out——

US Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data (4-digit CIP). Graduates are conferrals in the most recent IPEDS year; earnings cover federally-aided completers who are working and not enrolled; medians for small programs are privacy-suppressed (—).