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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for International Relations

94 Ranked Colleges
3,711 Degrees Awarded
$35,600 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on International Relations Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,711 international relations graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major” ranking analyzed 94 colleges that offered a degree in international relations. That schools that top this list have a program in international relations in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank International Relations Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for International Relations

1
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Institute of World Politics
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Institute of World Politics. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified masters’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on International Relations at Institute of World Politics

2

Out of the 94 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Monterey, California, and it awarded 46 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 1 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at Middlebury Institute

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia International University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s international relations degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about International Relations at Virginia International University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. San Juan, is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s international relations degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on International Relations at Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean

4
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SIT Graduate Institute
Brattleboro, Vermont

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SIT Graduate Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. SIT Graduate Institute is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brattleboro, Vermont. It awarded 5 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Full SIT Graduate Institute International Relations Report

6
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Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #6. Tufts is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 311 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 10 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations at Tufts University

7
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Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont

Norwich University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. Norwich is located in Northfield, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 masters’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at Norwich University

8
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American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #8. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s international relations degrees to 279 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at American University

9
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Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 490 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Relations at Johns Hopkins

10
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Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #10. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 283 masters’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Georgetown International Relations Report

11
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George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #11, George Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s international relations degrees to 381 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on International Relations at George Washington University

12
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New England College
Henniker, New Hampshire

New England College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking. Located in Henniker, New Hampshire, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified masters’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Read more about International Relations at NEC

13
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St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas

With a ranking of #13, St. Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. This small school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 22 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at St. Mary’s University

14
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Troy University
Troy, Alabama

Troy University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Troy, Alabama, and it awarded 73 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Troy University International Relations Report

15
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Seton Hall University
South Orange, New Jersey

With a ranking of #15, Seton Hall University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. Located in South Orange, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 51 degrees to qualified masters’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on International Relations at Seton Hall

16
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The New School
New York, New York

The New School came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking. The New School is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 41 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about International Relations at The New School

17
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Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Claremont Graduate University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking. Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 10 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Claremont Graduate University International Relations Report

18
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University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

University of Denver did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #18. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s international relations degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

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 more about International Relations at DU

19
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Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #19, Webster University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. Webster is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 masters’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read more about International Relations at Webster University

20

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #20. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 156 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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. 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 Columbia University in the City of New York

21
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Salve Regina University
Newport, Rhode Island

Salve Regina University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking. Located in Newport, Rhode Island, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Salve Regina

22
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Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 76 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Syracuse University

23
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Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #23. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 masters’s international relations degrees to qualified 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on International Relations at Yale

24
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University of Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut

University of Bridgeport came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major ranking. This small school is located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and it awarded 13 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on International Relations at University of Bridgeport

25

University of California - San Diego ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 108 masters’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 94%.

Read more about International Relations at University of California - San Diego

Notes and References

References

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