Labor & Industrial Relations degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 38 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best labor & industrial relations schools.
Choosing a Great Labor & Industrial Relations School
Where you study labor & industrial relations matters for your future. That is why we built our Best Labor & Industrial Relations Schools rankings. For our Best Overall Labor & Industrial Relations School ranking, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
To find the best fit, you can narrow this list to a specific degree level below.
Labor & Industrial Relations Rankings by Degree Level
We offer several rankings, including this Best Labor & Industrial Relations Schools list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Best Schools for Labor & Industrial Relations in the United States
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the labor & industrial relations degrees they offer, see the list below.
No school ranked higher than Cornell University this year for labor & industrial relations. Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. Cornell University awarded about 349 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from Cornell University generally make around $92,864. Cornell University graduates carry a median of $15,000 in student loans.
Get the full labor & industrial relations details for Cornell University
Students looking for a strong labor & industrial relations program will find one at Pennsylvania State University Main Campus, which ranked #2. This very large public university is located in the city of University Park. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 97 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at Pennsylvania State University Main Campus in the most recent data year.
Get the full labor & industrial relations details for Pennsylvania State University Main Campus
Students looking for a strong labor & industrial relations program will find one at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #3. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. About 85% of students finish within six years. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 132 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $89,637. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans.
Read more about the labor & industrial relations program at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Michigan State University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in labor & industrial relations, ranking #4. This very large public university is located in the city of East Lansing. Roughly 81% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 60 labor & industrial relations degrees were awarded at Michigan State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their labor & industrial relations degree from Michigan State University earn around $78,014 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,475.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from Michigan State University
Students looking for a strong labor & industrial relations program will find one at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities, which ranked #5. This very large public university is located in the city of Minneapolis. About 85% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 74 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Students who receive their labor & industrial relations degree from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn around $64,052 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,460.
See the full labor & industrial relations program report for University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
University Of Iowa came in at #6 for labor & industrial relations this year. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. About 75% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 142 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at University Of Iowa in the most recent data year. Graduates of the labor & industrial relations program make about $52,945 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $23,149 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from University Of Iowa
Rutgers University New Brunswick ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best labor & industrial relations schools. Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public school located in the city of New Brunswick. Roughly 84% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 125 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers University New Brunswick in the most recent data year. Students who receive their labor & industrial relations degree from Rutgers University New Brunswick earn around $58,302 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,750.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from Rutgers University New Brunswick
Pennsylvania State University World Campus placed #8 among the best labor & industrial relations schools. Located in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a large public university. Roughly 34% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 145 labor & industrial relations degrees were awarded at Pennsylvania State University World Campus in the most recent year.
See the full labor & industrial relations program report for Pennsylvania State University World Campus
Seton Hall University placed #9 among the best labor & industrial relations schools. Set in the suburb of South Orange, Seton Hall University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Seton Hall University graduates 70% of students within six years. Seton Hall University awarded about 35 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the labor & industrial relations program make about $80,158 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $23,032 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from Seton Hall University
Rider University landed the #10 spot for labor & industrial relations this year. Set in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 61% of students finish within six years. About 10 labor & industrial relations degrees were awarded at Rider University in the most recent year. Graduates of the labor & industrial relations program make about $40,941 in their early career. Rider University graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
Read more about the labor & industrial relations program at Rider University
Cuny Graduate School And University Center placed #11 among the best labor & industrial relations schools. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Graduate School And University Center is a large public institution. There were roughly 10 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at Cuny Graduate School And University Center in the most recent data year. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of Cuny Graduate School And University Center earn a median of $72,222 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $17,921 to complete this degree.
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Suny Empire State College placed #12 among the best labor & industrial relations schools. Located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs, Suny Empire State College is a large public university. About 36% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 187 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at Suny Empire State College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the labor & industrial relations program make about $58,140 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,693.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from Suny Empire State College
Wayne State University came in at #13 for labor & industrial relations this year. Set in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public institution. About 58% of students finish within six years. Wayne State University awarded about 12 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from Wayne State University generally make around $48,324. Wayne State University graduates carry a median of $24,213 in student loans.
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Cleveland State University landed the #14 spot for labor & industrial relations this year. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public university. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. Cleveland State University awarded about 48 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from Cleveland State University generally make around $54,679. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from Cleveland State University
University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras came in at #15 for labor & industrial relations this year. University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras is a large public school located in the city of San Juan. Roughly 50% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 11 labor & industrial relations degrees were awarded at University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras in the most recent year. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras earn a median of $24,881 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $5,500 to complete this degree.
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Labor & Industrial Relations Related Rankings by Major
Explore other rankings in majors related to Labor & Industrial Relations. See all related rankings.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 38 schools evaluated.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
