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2024 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
373 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$39,470 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in international relations & national security is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #67 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 373 degrees in international relations & national security to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School

Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois Your choice of international relations & national security school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall International Relations & National Security School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your International Relations & National Security Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in International Relations
Master's Degrees in International Relations

The international relations school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for International Relations & National Security in Illinois

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the international relations degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Illinois Schools in International Relations

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$46,450 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 34 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from Northwestern University receive an earnings boost of about $6,980 over the average income of international relations & national security graduates.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Northwestern University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
163 International Relations Degrees Awarded
0.6% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in international relations & national security needs to check out University of Chicago. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 163 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security program at University of Chicago earn $3,875 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Chicago

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$33,417 Median Starting Salary
$23,250 Median Student Debt

Every student who is interested in international relations & national security needs to take a look at Wheaton College Illinois. Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #257 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Wheaton College Illinois is a great college overall.

There were roughly 24 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program report average early career income of $33,417.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Wheaton College Illinois

4
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$37,646 Median Starting Salary

Lake Forest College is a good option for students pursuing a degree in international relations & national security. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Lake Forest. This college ranks 13th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 10 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Lake Forest in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program earn about $37,646 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Lake Forest College

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 International Relations Degrees Awarded
15.2% Growth in Graduates

DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were about 46 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program report average early career income of $39,242.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from DePaul University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 International Relations Degrees Awarded
3.1% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were about 64 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program make around $33,076 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Loyola University Chicago

7
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In IL
11.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Galesburg, Knox is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 770th out of 2,217 colleges for overall quality nationwide.

There were roughly 9 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Knox in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Knox College

8
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In IL

Located in the large suburb of River Forest, Dominican U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 30th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 1 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Dominican U in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Dominican University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In IL

Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. This university ranks 38th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 3 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Roosevelt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Roosevelt University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In IL

McKendree is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Lebanon. This university ranks 59th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 1 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at McKendree in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from McKendree University

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best International Relations & National Security Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Michigan322212
Ohio314444
Indiana294201
Wisconsin27376

View All Rankings >

International Relations & National Security is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

International Relations Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
International Relations362
Other International Relations & National Security Studies11

View All International Relations Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Economics2,222
Political Science & Government1,528
Sociology798
Anthropology300
General Social Sciences254
Geography & Cartography159
Sociology & Anthropology51
Other Social Sciences45
Urban Studies18
Archeology1

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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