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2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

217 Ranked Colleges
13,117 Degrees Awarded
$5,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

International Relations is the 63rd most popular major in the country with 13,117 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 217 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international relations. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international relations programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the international relations program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for International Relations (Income $0-$30k)

1
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Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $371 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about International Relations at Duke University

2
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Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 66 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,233 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Stanford

3
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Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 686 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Johns Hopkins University

4
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Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 88 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $961 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on International Relations at Yale

5
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Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 39 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brown University is $1,468 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about International Relations at Brown University

6
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Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 135 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,564 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about International Relations at Harvard University

7
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Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 42 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #14 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $245 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Northwestern

8
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about International Relations at UPenn

9
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Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 478 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It costs about $8,122 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Tufts University

10
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University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 162 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best International Relations Schools” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Full University of Chicago International Relations Report

11
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Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Georgetown University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 572 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgetown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown is $3,077 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Georgetown

12
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Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It costs about $4,443 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Rice International Relations Report

13
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 24 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Claremont McKenna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $5,387 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on International Relations at Claremont McKenna

14
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University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #14, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 208 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia also took the #8 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $12,476 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at University of Virginia - Main Campus

15

Washington University in St Louis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full WUSTL International Relations Report

16
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William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 72 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, William & Mary is in the top on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $5,972 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations at William & Mary

17

With a ranking of #17, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 113 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington excels when it comes to international relations quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on International Relations at Indiana University - Bloomington

18
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Easton, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

Lafayette also took the #24 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $11,728 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Relations at Lafayette

19
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 341 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $4,950 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations at Florida State University

20

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 156 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,873 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Columbia International Relations Report

21
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #21, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 286 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA also claimed a top spot on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $8,303 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations at UGA

22
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Pomona excels when it comes to international relations quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $8,629 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on International Relations at Pomona

23
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Clinton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Hamilton is also in the top of our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $8,810 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hamilton.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Hamilton International Relations Report

24
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Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

With a ranking of #24, Colgate University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Colgate University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hamilton, New York. It awarded 37 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It costs about $10,762 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colgate.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Colgate University International Relations Report

25

With a ranking of #25, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 317 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,196 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida International University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about International Relations at Florida International University

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
28
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota
30
31
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Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
32
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Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
33
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Notes and References

References

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