2024 Best International Relations Schools
220
Colleges in the United States
13,117
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Ranked #63 in popularity,
international relations is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
College Factual looked at 220 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best International Relations Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,117 degrees in international relations during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great International Relations School
The international relations program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for International Relations rankings. For our Best Overall International Relations School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your International Relations Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best International Relations Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for International Relations in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the international relations degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in International Relations
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In MD
686
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Any student who is interested in international relations needs to take a look at Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. This university ranks 1st out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
There were approximately 686 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CT
88
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Yale University is a great choice for students interested in a degree in international relations. Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.
There were about 88 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Yale University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In CA
66
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Any student pursuing a degree in international relations needs to take a look at Stanford University. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were roughly 66 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Stanford University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
190
International Relations Degrees Awarded
It's difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 190 international relations students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of Southern California
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In MA
135
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.
There were roughly 135 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Harvard University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In DC
572
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.
There were approximately 572 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Georgetown University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In MA
478
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Tufts is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Medford. This university ranks 4th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were roughly 478 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Tufts University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In PA
44
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were about 44 international relations students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of Pennsylvania
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In VA
208
International Relations Degrees Awarded
University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 208 international relations students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.
There were roughly 24 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Claremont McKenna College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In RI
39
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.
There were roughly 39 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Brown University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In DC
948
International Relations Degrees Awarded
GWU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
There were approximately 948 international relations students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from George Washington University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IL
42
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were about 42 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Northwestern University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
162
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were about 162 international relations students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of Chicago
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In NC
53
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were roughly 53 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Duke University
Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.
There were about 24 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Carnegie Mellon University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
7th
Most Popular In TX
Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. This university ranks 1st out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were about 16 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Rice University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In NY
156
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were about 156 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Columbia University in the City of New York
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In DC
700
International Relations Degrees Awarded
The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. This university ranks 3rd out of 8 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
There were approximately 700 international relations students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from American University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In GA
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
There were approximately 27 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Emory University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In CA
108
International Relations Degrees Awarded
UCSD is a very large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 108 international relations students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of California - San Diego
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In VT
33
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the distant town of Middlebury, Middlebury is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 1st out of 11 schools for overall quality in the state of Vermont.
There were about 33 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Middlebury in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Middlebury College
Graduate Certificate
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In VA
157
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were about 157 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Virginia Tech
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In MO
Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were approximately 5 international relations students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Washington University in St Louis
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In MA
271
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. This university ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were about 271 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Boston University