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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

Best International Relations Schools 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

Associate Degrees in International Relations
Bachelor's Degrees in International Relations
Master's Degrees in International Relations
Doctor's Degrees in International Relations

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

1
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

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
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

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
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

4
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

5
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
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

6
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
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

7
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
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

8
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
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

9
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

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In CA
12.5% Growth in Graduates

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

11
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
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

12
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

13
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

14
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

15
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
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

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In PA
12.5% Growth in Graduates

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

17
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
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

18
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

19
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
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

20
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
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

21
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

22
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
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

23
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
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

24
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

25
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
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

Rest of the Top Best International Relations Schools

26
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
27
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
28
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
29
30
31
32

33

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best International Relations Schools award.

Rank College Location
34 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
35 Lafayette College Easton, PA
36 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
37 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
38 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
39 University of Denver Denver, CO
40 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
41 Northeastern University Boston, MA
42 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
43 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
44 Pomona College Claremont, CA

International Relations by Region

View the Best International Relations Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 2 majors within the International Relations & National Security area of study, International Relations has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
International Security 659
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 530

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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