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2024 Best International Relations Bachelor's Degree Schools

187 Colleges in the United States
8,848 Bachelor's Degrees
International Relations is of the hottest bachelor's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #50 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 187 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for international relations students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 8,848 bachelor's degrees in international relations during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great International Relations School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best International Relations Bachelor's Degree Schools The international relations bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality international relations program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for international relations students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More International Relations Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Bachelor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study International Relations in the United States

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for international relations students seeking a a bachelor's degree. 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 for a Bachelor's in International Relations

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Annual Graduates

Yale University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in international relations. Located in the midsize city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Yale University

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Stanford University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in international relations. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Stanford University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
171 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in international relations. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from University of Southern California

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Annual Graduates

Johns Hopkins University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in international relations. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Johns Hopkins University

5
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
289 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Georgetown University

6
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
44 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from University of Pennsylvania

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
203 Annual Graduates

University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from University of Virginia - Main Campus

8
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
160 Annual Graduates

Tufts is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Medford.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Tufts University

9
24 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Claremont McKenna College

10
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
39 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Brown University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
22 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from University of Chicago

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
563 Annual Graduates

GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from George Washington University

13
42 Annual Graduates

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Northwestern University

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Carnegie Mellon University

15
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
27 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Emory University

16
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
237 Annual Graduates

Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Boston University

17
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
415 Annual Graduates

The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from American University

18
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from New York University

19
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
33 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Middlebury, Middlebury is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Middlebury College

20
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
156 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Virginia Tech

21
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
38 Annual Graduates

Carleton is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Northfield.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Carleton College

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
264 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from University of Georgia

23
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
37 Annual Graduates

Colgate is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Hamilton.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Colgate University

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Annual Graduates

GMU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from George Mason University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
24 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

Rest of the Top Best International Relations Bachelor's Degree Schools

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28
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for International Relations students that almost earned our Best International Relations Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
29 Lafayette College Easton, PA
30 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
31 University of Denver Denver, CO
32 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
33 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
34 Northeastern University Boston, MA
35 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
36 Fordham University Bronx, NY
37 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA

International Relations by Region

View the Best International Relations Bachelor's Degree 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

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

Majors Similar to International Relations

Related Major Annual Graduates
International Security 194
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 116

Notes and References

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