Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

International Relations & National Security

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

20 Ranked Colleges
773 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 14,762 people earned their degree in international relations and national security, making the major the 65th most popular in the United States. 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 the Southwest region, there were 773 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,025 and $30,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international relations and national security. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great international relations and national security programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank International Relations & National Security Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for International Relations & National Security (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

Rice also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $3,437 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on International Relations & National Security at Rice University

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #2 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 127 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,454 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Texas A&M College Station

#3

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $10,562 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Arizona International Relations & National Security Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 30 ’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $10,516 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#5

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trinity University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Trinity U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity U is $12,373 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Trinity University

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 34 ’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,044 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Arizona State University - Tempe

#7

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

With a ranking of #7, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Angelo, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

Angelo State also took the #10 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Angelo State is $9,799 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Angelo State International Relations & National Security Report

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $12,203 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at UT Austin

With a ranking of #9, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

UTEP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $7,092 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UTEP.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at The University of Texas at El Paso

#10

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Texas State University is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,125 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas State University.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Texas State University

#11

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Flagstaff, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,251 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at NAU

#12

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school handed out 45 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Skysong is $12,037 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at ASU - Skysong

#12

St. Mary's University

San Antonio, Texas

St. Mary’s University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

St. Mary’s not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for St. Mary’s is $15,338 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at St. Mary’s University

University of Central Oklahoma came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Central Oklahoma is a public institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCO is $12,297 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at University of Central Oklahoma

#14

Austin College

Sherman, Texas

Austin College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sherman, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, Austin College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Austin College is $16,598 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#15

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 20 ’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNM has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNM is $13,242 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus International Relations & National Security Report

#16

Howard Payne University

Brownwood, Texas

Howard Payne University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Howard Payne University is located in Brownwood, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Howard Payne also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Howard Payne is $16,048 for southwest region 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.

Full Howard Payne International Relations & National Security Report

#17

Southwestern University

Georgetown, Texas
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Southwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Georgetown, Texas, and it awarded 1 ’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Southwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southwestern University is $20,296 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full Southwestern University International Relations & National Security Report

#18

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

With a ranking of #18, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. TCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, TCU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,286 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Christian University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full TCU International Relations & National Security Report

#19

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

Baylor University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 51 ’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $26,726 for southwest region international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Baylor.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Prescott, Arizona. It awarded 106 ’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Embry-Riddle Prescott did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Embry-Riddle Prescott is $31,082 for Southwest Region International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You