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2024 Best International Relations Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
382 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 reviewed 10 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of international relations. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 382 degrees in international relations during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great International Relations School

Best International Relations Schools in Illinois Your choice of international relations school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

International Relations Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in International Relations
Master'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 in Illinois 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 Illinois

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.

10 Top Illinois Schools in International Relations

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IL
42 International Relations Degrees Awarded

Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in international relations. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 42 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations from Northwestern University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
162 International Relations Degrees Awarded

University of Chicago is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in international relations. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. 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

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IL
34 International Relations Degrees Awarded

Wheaton College Illinois is a great option for students interested in a degree in international relations. Located in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #257 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Wheaton College Illinois is a great college overall.

There were roughly 34 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in international relations from Wheaton College Illinois

4
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In IL
31.3% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in international relations has to check out Lake Forest College. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Lake Forest. This college ranks 13th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 16 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Lake Forest in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in international relations from Lake Forest College

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IL
62 International Relations Degrees Awarded

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 62 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in international relations from Loyola University Chicago

6
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
32 International Relations Degrees Awarded

DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were approximately 32 international relations students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations from DePaul University

7
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In IL
12.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Galesburg, Knox is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 770th out of 2,217 schools for overall quality nationwide.

There were roughly 8 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Knox in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in international relations from Knox College

8
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In IL

Located in the suburb of River Forest, Dominican U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 30th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 4 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Dominican U in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations from Dominican University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In IL
42.9% Growth in Graduates

Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. This university ranks 38th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 7 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Roosevelt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations from Roosevelt University

10

McKendree is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Lebanon. This university ranks 59th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.More information about a degree in international relations from McKendree University

Best International Relations Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best International Relations Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Ohio 939 406
Michigan 915 211
Indiana 737 184
Wisconsin 672 76

View All Rankings >

International Relations is one of 2 different types of International Relations & National Security programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 7

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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