2026 Best Labor & Industrial Relations Master’s Degree Schools
Labor & Industrial Relations programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 38 schools to find the best for labor & industrial relations students.
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Best Schools for Labor & Industrial Relations in the United States
Below are the best labor & industrial relations schools at the master’s degree level, ranked by the quality of the education they deliver.
Top Schools in Labor & Industrial Relations
No school ranked higher than Cornell University this year for labor & industrial relations. Set in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Cornell University graduates 95% of students within six years. Cornell University awarded about 58 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the labor & industrial relations program make about $112,291 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $15,000.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from Cornell University
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in labor & industrial relations, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates 85% of students within six years. There were roughly 130 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $89,637 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete this degree.
Read more about the labor & industrial relations program at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in labor & industrial relations, landing the #3 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the city of Minneapolis. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 44 labor & industrial relations degrees were awarded at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities in the most recent year. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $92,241 early in their careers. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities graduates carry a median of $20,460 in student loans.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
A rank of #4 makes Pennsylvania State University Main Campus one of the top schools for labor & industrial relations. Located in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 86%. About 20 labor & industrial relations degrees were awarded at Pennsylvania State University Main Campus in the most recent year.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from Pennsylvania State University Main Campus
Students looking for a strong labor & industrial relations program will find one at Michigan State University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 81%. Michigan State University awarded about 60 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $99,526 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $23,475.
More information about a degree in labor & industrial relations from Michigan State University
Pennsylvania State University World Campus earned the #6 position for labor & industrial relations this year. Set in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 34%. Pennsylvania State University World Campus awarded about 69 labor & industrial relations degrees in the most recent data year.
Get the full labor & industrial relations details for Pennsylvania State University World Campus
Cuny Graduate School And University Center ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best labor & industrial relations schools. This large public university is located in the city of New York. About 10 labor & industrial relations degrees were awarded at Cuny Graduate School And University Center in the most recent year. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of Cuny Graduate School And University Center earn a median of $72,222 early in their careers. Cuny Graduate School And University Center graduates carry a median of $17,921 in student loans.
See the full labor & industrial relations program report for Cuny Graduate School And University Center
Cleveland State University earned the #8 position for labor & industrial relations this year. This large public university is located in the city of Cleveland. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 26 labor & industrial relations students who graduated with this degree at Cleveland State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, labor & industrial relations degree recipients from Cleveland State University generally make around $68,489. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
See the full labor & industrial relations program report for Cleveland State University
Other Labor & Industrial Relations Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare Labor & Industrial Relations rankings across degree levels:
View All Labor & Industrial Relations Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
