Best Colleges for International Relations (2026)
118 programs ranked by graduate earnings, acceptance rates, and outcomes — powered by federal data from the U.S. Department of Education.
118
Programs
$64,684
Avg Field Earnings
$24,400
Avg Net Price
58%
Avg Admit Rate
There are 118 accredited International Relations programs across U.S. colleges and universities, with graduate earnings ranging from $24,303 to $99,205. Johns Hopkins University produces the highest-earning graduates, while the average program graduate earns $64,684 within four years of completion. Whether you're focused on maximizing earning potential or finding the best value, this data — sourced from the U.S. Department of Education — helps you compare programs side by side.
Quick Facts — International Relations Programs
Top 15 Colleges for International Relations by Graduate Earnings
Ranked by field-specific earnings after graduation. Public and private nonprofit only.
| # | School | Location | Type | Earnings | Admit Rate | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | Private Nonprofit | $99,205 | 6% | $18,809 |
| 2 | University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | Private Nonprofit | $98,430 | 4% | $14,860 |
| 3 | Claremont McKenna College | Claremont, CA | Private Nonprofit | $96,520 | 10% | $28,849 |
| 4 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT | Private Nonprofit | $92,728 | 11% | $31,483 |
| 5 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA | Private Nonprofit | $91,075 | 4% | $13,807 |
| 6 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA | Public | $91,065 | 34% | $19,096 |
| 7 | Bucknell University | Lewisburg, PA | Private Nonprofit | $90,393 | 29% | $40,766 |
| 8 | Angelo State University | San Angelo, TX | Public | $87,991 | 83% | $15,091 |
| 9 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | Private Nonprofit | $87,439 | 5% | $28,699 |
| 10 | Brown University | Providence, RI | Private Nonprofit | $86,780 | 5% | $25,184 |
| 11 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | Private Nonprofit | $84,866 | 10% | $32,740 |
| 12 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | Private Nonprofit | $84,474 | 19% | $37,244 |
| 13 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA | Public | $82,991 | 17% | $21,565 |
| 14 | Georgetown University | Washington, DC | Private Nonprofit | $82,197 | 13% | $40,815 |
| 15 | Lehigh University | Bethlehem, PA | Private Nonprofit | $79,569 | 26% | $36,931 |
Best Value International Relations Programs
Lowest net price among schools with above-median International Relations graduate earnings (above $65,200).
#3 Best ValuePublic
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA
Net Price
$12,116
Field Earnings
$79,264
#4 Best ValuePublic
San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
Net Price
$12,278
Field Earnings
$65,775
What the Data Tells Us
- 13 of the top 15 programs by earnings are at public universities — 12 are private nonprofits.
- 2The #1 program (Johns Hopkins University) pays 53% more than the average International Relations program nationally.
- 3Average acceptance rate among International Relations programs is 58% — selectivity varies widely by school.
- 4Best-value programs combine above-median earnings (>$65,200) with lower-than-average net prices.
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Find my International Relations programAll International Relations Programs
All 118 institutions offering International Relations. Click column headers to sort. Includes for-profit institutions.
| School | City | State | Type | Field Earnings | Admit Rate | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore | MD | Private Nonprofit | $99,205 | 6% | $18,809 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | IL | Private Nonprofit | $98,430 | 4% | $14,860 |
| Claremont McKenna College | Claremont | CA | Private Nonprofit | $96,520 | 10% | $28,849 |
| Middlebury College | Middlebury | VT | Private Nonprofit | $92,728 | 11% | $31,483 |
| Stanford University | Stanford | CA | Private Nonprofit | $91,075 | 4% | $13,807 |
| William & Mary | Williamsburg | VA | Public | $91,065 | 34% | $19,096 |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg | PA | Private Nonprofit | $90,393 | 29% | $40,766 |
| Angelo State University | San Angelo | TX | Public | $87,991 | 83% | $15,091 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | PA | Private Nonprofit | $87,439 | 5% | $28,699 |
| Brown University | Providence | RI | Private Nonprofit | $86,780 | 5% | $25,184 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | CA | Private Nonprofit | $84,866 | 10% | $32,740 |
| University of Miami | Coral Gables | FL | Private Nonprofit | $84,474 | 19% | $37,244 |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus | Charlottesville | VA | Public | $82,991 | 17% | $21,565 |
| Georgetown University | Washington | DC | Private Nonprofit | $82,197 | 13% | $40,815 |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem | PA | Private Nonprofit | $79,569 | 26% | $36,931 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | Atlanta | GA | Public | $79,264 | 14% | $12,116 |
| Emory University | Atlanta | GA | Private Nonprofit | $78,029 | 11% | $22,585 |
| Tufts University | Medford | MA | Private Nonprofit | $77,998 | 11% | $39,998 |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges | Geneva | NY | Private Nonprofit | $77,977 | 64% | $31,563 |
| Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans | LA | Private Nonprofit | $77,300 | 14% | $39,949 |
| Fordham University | Bronx | NY | Private Nonprofit | $77,234 | 59% | $44,338 |
| Colgate University | Hamilton | NY | Private Nonprofit | $77,199 | 14% | $28,786 |
| George Washington University | Washington | DC | Private Nonprofit | $76,751 | 47% | $36,586 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott | AZ | Private Nonprofit | $75,520 | 77% | $40,287 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | Daytona Beach | FL | Private Nonprofit | $75,520 | 65% | $41,272 |
| Northeastern University | Boston | MA | Private Nonprofit | $74,816 | 5% | $30,915 |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing | MI | Public | $74,709 | 85% | $19,680 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | IL | Private Nonprofit | $74,477 | 8% | $29,167 |
| American University | Washington | DC | Private Nonprofit | $73,865 | 62% | $41,943 |
| Virginia Military Institute | Lexington | VA | Public | $72,700 | 71% | $17,113 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | VA | Public | $71,988 | 55% | $24,953 |
| Connecticut College | New London | CT | Private Nonprofit | $71,960 | 37% | $36,175 |
| Seton Hall University | South Orange | NJ | Private Nonprofit | $71,949 | 73% | $31,446 |
| Fairmont State University | Fairmont | WV | Public | $71,751 | 99% | $9,032 |
| Brigham Young University | Provo | UT | Private Nonprofit | $71,622 | 68% | $15,564 |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg | VA | Private Nonprofit | $71,436 | 99% | $29,357 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | University Park | PA | Public | $71,001 | 61% | $32,875 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | University Park | PA | Public | $71,001 | 91% | $19,550 |
| University of Georgia | Athens | GA | Public | $70,510 | 38% | $13,936 |
| Rollins College | Winter Park | FL | Private Nonprofit | $70,502 | 48% | $34,732 |
| Occidental College | Los Angeles | CA | Private Nonprofit | $70,394 | 44% | $38,263 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | VA | Public | $69,399 | 87% | $17,915 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg | VA | Public | $68,798 | 72% | $23,322 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | IL | Private Nonprofit | $68,180 | 76% | $30,902 |
| Syracuse University | Syracuse | NY | Private Nonprofit | $68,049 | 46% | $38,793 |
| Norwich University | Northfield | VT | Private Nonprofit | $68,004 | 74% | $22,257 |
| University of North Georgia | Dahlonega | GA | Public | $67,692 | 68% | $9,823 |
| University of Rochester | Rochester | NY | Private Nonprofit | $67,531 | 40% | $29,278 |
| Baylor University | Waco | TX | Private Nonprofit | $67,484 | 51% | $41,104 |
| Miami University-Oxford | Oxford | OH | Public | $67,301 | 75% | $28,384 |
| University of California-Davis | Davis | CA | Public | $67,056 | 42% | $14,741 |
| The College of New Jersey | Ewing | NJ | Public | $67,001 | 62% | $27,646 |
| Boston University | Boston | MA | Private Nonprofit | $66,661 | 11% | $24,402 |
| SUNY College at Geneseo | Geneseo | NY | Public | $66,435 | 66% | $18,211 |
| Marquette University | Milwaukee | WI | Private Nonprofit | $66,180 | 81% | $31,487 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | Columbus | OH | Public | $66,064 | 61% | $17,339 |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco | CA | Public | $65,775 | 96% | $12,278 |
| Webster University | Saint Louis | MO | Private Nonprofit | $65,402 | 86% | $27,047 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton | IL | Private Nonprofit | $65,230 | 87% | $26,975 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | PA | Private Nonprofit | $65,169 | 84% | $37,730 |
| University of Delaware | Newark | DE | Public | $64,715 | 71% | $17,799 |
| Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green | KY | Public | $64,710 | 94% | $10,990 |
| Hamilton College | Clinton | NY | Private Nonprofit | $64,585 | 14% | $28,985 |
| Florida International University | Miami | FL | Public | $64,399 | 55% | $9,288 |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee | FL | Public | $63,984 | 24% | $11,297 |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie | NY | Private Nonprofit | $63,591 | 19% | $39,343 |
| Dickinson College | Carlisle | PA | Private Nonprofit | $62,570 | 42% | $37,607 |
| University of Maine | Orono | ME | Public | $62,555 | 97% | $17,510 |
| University of San Diego | San Diego | CA | Private Nonprofit | $61,509 | 52% | $30,365 |
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant | MI | Public | $61,331 | 90% | $17,597 |
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | Durham | NH | Public | $60,577 | 88% | $23,805 |
| Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff | AZ | Public | $60,448 | 90% | $14,158 |
| Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw | GA | Public | $60,031 | 69% | $15,048 |
| University of Denver | Denver | CO | Private Nonprofit | $59,895 | 78% | $36,131 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | CA | Public | $59,733 | 36% | $15,364 |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco | CA | Private Nonprofit | $59,387 | 62% | $41,431 |
| CUNY City College | New York | NY | Public | $59,039 | 60% | $3,776 |
| University of South Florida | Tampa | FL | Public | $58,999 | 43% | $9,812 |
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale | MI | Public | $58,802 | 83% | $16,317 |
| Lafayette College | Easton | PA | Private Nonprofit | $58,433 | 31% | $34,433 |
| University of Nevada-Reno | Reno | NV | Public | $58,002 | 74% | $15,927 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | Bloomington | IN | Public | $57,806 | 78% | $16,264 |
| Lewis & Clark College | Portland | OR | Private Nonprofit | $57,783 | 78% | $36,013 |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz | NY | Public | $57,641 | 62% | $18,809 |
| Towson University | Towson | MD | Public | $57,498 | 82% | $17,413 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | Cincinnati | OH | Public | $57,228 | 85% | $25,648 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis | TN | Private Nonprofit | $56,744 | 50% | $28,585 |
| Portland State University | Portland | OR | Public | $56,436 | 91% | $9,552 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minneapolis | MN | Public | $56,257 | 80% | $16,778 |
| University of California-Riverside | Riverside | CA | Public | $56,108 | 76% | $14,304 |
| Saint Louis University | Saint Louis | MO | Private Nonprofit | $55,964 | 75% | $24,398 |
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa | AL | Public | $55,419 | 77% | $22,420 |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | Columbia | SC | Public | $54,781 | 60% | $22,811 |
| University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | Oshkosh | WI | Public | $54,506 | 87% | $14,305 |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk | VA | Public | $54,505 | 90% | $14,638 |
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | WA | Private Nonprofit | $53,458 | 82% | $35,119 |
| Texas State University | San Marcos | TX | Public | $53,407 | 89% | $16,805 |
| California State University-Chico | Chico | CA | Public | $52,150 | 93% | $14,480 |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Philadelphia | PA | Private Nonprofit | $52,111 | 89% | $29,689 |
| Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs | NY | Private Nonprofit | $51,622 | 21% | $32,297 |
| University of Wisconsin-River Falls | River Falls | WI | Public | $50,750 | 82% | $14,054 |
| Drake University | Des Moines | IA | Private Nonprofit | $49,764 | 64% | $29,127 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis | Indianapolis | IN | Public | $49,069 | 76% | $11,668 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville | AR | Public | $48,925 | 74% | $18,209 |
| University of Idaho | Moscow | ID | Public | $48,662 | 76% | $14,831 |
| Saint Cloud State University | Saint Cloud | MN | Public | $48,463 | 95% | $13,529 |
| Georgia Southern University | Statesboro | GA | Public | $47,844 | 88% | $15,267 |
| University of Puget Sound | Tacoma | WA | Private Nonprofit | $47,734 | 72% | $38,394 |
| Cleveland State University | Cleveland | OH | Public | $45,045 | 91% | $14,764 |
| Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove | PA | Private Nonprofit | $44,784 | 81% | $28,819 |
| University of West Florida | Pensacola | FL | Public | $43,652 | 58% | $9,364 |
| Wofford College | Spartanburg | SC | Private Nonprofit | $43,428 | 52% | $18,732 |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio | TX | Public | $42,864 | 87% | $10,836 |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | IA | Public | $36,376 | 84% | $22,531 |
| Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles | CA | Private Nonprofit | $34,575 | 45% | $48,381 |
| Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley | MA | Private Nonprofit | $26,306 | 36% | $26,441 |
| State University of New York at Oswego | Oswego | NY | Public | $24,893 | 81% | $16,236 |
| Allegheny College | Meadville | PA | Private Nonprofit | $24,303 | 55% | $22,940 |
Showing 118 of 118 schools