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2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

241 Ranked Colleges
9,312 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 13,616 people earned their degree in international relations, making the major the 54th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,312 international relations graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 241 colleges that offer a degree in international relations. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent international relations programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the international relations program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank International Relations Schools

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations (With Aid)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 241 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 48 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid list, Yale has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $17,549 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Yale

#2

The City College of New York

New York, New York

Out of the 241 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The City College of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 77 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,385 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

Read full report on International Relations at The City College of New York

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $11,496 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

The 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 86%.

Full Stanford University International Relations Report

#4

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Claremont McKenna is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Claremont McKenna also made our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna College is $22,161 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on International Relations at Claremont McKenna

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 288 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,296 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend FIU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida International University International Relations Report

#6

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 270 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #11 spot in our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,397 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about International Relations at University of Virginia

#7

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 364 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,789 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend Florida State.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State University International Relations Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 94 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $8,355 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read more about International Relations at USF Tampa

Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 27 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 92%.

Read more about International Relations at Brigham Young University - Provo

#10

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. UWF is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $7,406 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

Read full report on International Relations at The University of West Florida

Top 15% in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Georgia Tech is also in the top of our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,739 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at Georgia Tech

#12

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at IU Bloomington

#13

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#23 in overall quality

William & Mary ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 88 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid list, William & Mary has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $19,800 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 93%.

Full William & Mary International Relations Report

#14

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Georgia came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Georgia is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 227 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UGA also did well on our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $13,649 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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%.

Read full report on International Relations at University of Georgia

#15

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,871 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend UCR.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at University of California - Riverside

#16

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 44 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $25,802 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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 UPenn

Top 20% in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 169 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Davis also did well on our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations at University of California - Davis

#18

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
Top 20% in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State excels when it comes to international relations quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $19,173 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Relations at Michigan State

#19

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#5 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $29,342 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Johns Hopkins University International Relations Report

#20

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

With a ranking of #20, University of North Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UNG is a public institution located in Dahlonega, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,396 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid per year to attend UNG.

Read more about International Relations at University of North Georgia

#21

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 7 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $9,435 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

Read full report on International Relations at University of Missouri - St Louis

#22

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Wellesley College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid list, Wellesley has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,087 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend Wellesley.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at Wellesley

#23

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

Full St. Cloud State University International Relations Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this large public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,853 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Read more about International Relations at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#25

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 137 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Virginia Tech is also in the top of our “Best International Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Virginia Tech International Relations Report

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 37 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#27

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia
#28

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#29

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#30

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#32

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#33

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#36

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#37

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to RepubFan12.

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