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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

13 Ranked Colleges
224 Degrees Awarded
$16,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

International Relations & National Security is the 65th most popular major in the country with 14,762 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, international relations and national security graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $38,051 and had an average of $28,099 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 373 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,500 and $26,096 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 224 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree in international relations and national security. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent international relations and national security programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the international relations and national security program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for illinois bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at UChicago

#3

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wheaton College Illinois. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 34 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,440 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Wheaton College Illinois

#4

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Xavier University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $11,266 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SXU International Relations & National Security Report

#5

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lake Forest College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Lake Forest College is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Lake Forest also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $18,192 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Forest College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Lake Forest

#6

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Bradley also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $17,205 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Bradley

#7

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Knox is $16,828 for illinois bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Knox College

#8

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Dominican University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Dominican U also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,060 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Dominican University

#9

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at McKendree, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,184 for illinois bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend McKendree.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at McKendree

#10

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Roosevelt is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $20,398 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Roosevelt University

#11

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Rockford University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Rockford, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Rockford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,868 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rockford.

The impressive 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.

Full Rockford International Relations & National Security Report

#12

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $29,440 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Loyola University Chicago

#13

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, DePaul has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $26,173 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul International Relations & National Security Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to RepubFan12.

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