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2023 Best Value Colleges for International Relations in California (With Aid)

17 Ranked Colleges
1,024 Degrees Awarded
$25,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 13,117 people earned their degree in international relations, making the major the 63rd most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,024 international relations graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree 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.

More Ways to Rank International Relations Schools

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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 in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california international relations students with aid.

Top 17 Best Value Colleges for International Relations in California (With Aid)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $12,894 for california international relations students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Stanford International Relations Report

2

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 151 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $15,768 for California International Relations students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at UC Davis

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 108 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

UCSD also made our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $15,240 for california international relations students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - San Diego International Relations Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 85 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,822 for california international relations students with aid per year to attend UCR.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at University of California - Riverside

5
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #5 spot on the list. Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Claremont McKenna, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna College is $21,993 for California International Relations students with aid.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 more about International Relations at Claremont McKenna

6
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Pomona is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 9 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california international relations students with aid list, Pomona has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $17,949 for california international relations students with aid.

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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Relations at Pomona

7
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,459 for California International Relations students with aid per year to attend San Francisco State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Francisco State University International Relations Report

8

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 16 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,218 for California International Relations students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read full report on International Relations at Chico State

9
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 190 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $32,569 for California International Relations students with aid.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations at University of Southern California

10
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california international relations students with aid list, Oxy has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Occidental College is $34,032 for california international relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Occidental College

11
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

University of Redlands came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Redlands, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

University of Redlands not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $26,098 for california international relations students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read full report on International Relations at University of Redlands

12
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

With a ranking of #12, Azusa Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Azusa, California, and it awarded 4 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific also took the #18 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Azusa Pacific University is $30,744 for california international relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Azusa Pacific University International Relations Report

13
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in La Verne, California, and it awarded 5 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

ULV also took the #19 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,260 for California International Relations students with aid per year to attend ULV.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at ULV

14
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california international relations students with aid list, USD has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $34,139 for california international relations students with aid per year to attend USD.

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%.

Read more about International Relations at University of San Diego

15
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #15, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. USFCA is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 47 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. It costs about $40,053 for California International Relations students with aid per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Full University of San Francisco International Relations Report

16
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 51 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Marymount also made our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $44,467 for california international relations students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Loyola Marymount International Relations Report

17

Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Moraga, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california international relations students with aid list, SMC has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SMC is $37,232 for California International Relations students with aid.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at Saint Mary’s College of California

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