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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security (Income $48-$75k)

249 Ranked Colleges
9,567 Degrees Awarded
$33,184 Avg Salary
Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,567 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 249 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the international relations and national security program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. 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 For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Yale University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 48 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k list, Yale has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $2,167 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Yale University International Relations & National Security Report

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $1,959 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

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

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 37 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 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.

Full Northwestern International Relations & National Security Report

#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 100 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $9,049 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Johns Hopkins University International Relations & National Security Report

#5

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona is $11,811 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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

#6

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 17 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $7,934 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 University of Chicago

#7

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #4 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $12,752 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 95%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at UPenn

#8

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Providence, Rhode Island 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 79 students in 2019-2020.

Brown also took the #13 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $11,689 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Brown

#9

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 251 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k list, Georgetown has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,933 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgetown University.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgetown University International Relations & National Security Report

#10

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 1 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $11,832 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at WUSTL

#11

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#2 in overall quality

Claremont McKenna College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

Claremont McKenna also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $19,009 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Claremont McKenna College

#12

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Wellesley College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k list, Wellesley has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $14,229 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Wellesley

#13

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Middlebury is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Middlebury, Vermont. It awarded 31 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Middlebury also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $14,002 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Middlebury.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#14

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school awarded 88 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $11,721 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend William & Mary.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full William & Mary International Relations & National Security Report

#15

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 48 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lafayette has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $17,121 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Lafayette College

#16

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 270 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $14,671 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at University of Virginia - Main Campus

Florida International University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 288 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $10,298 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Florida International University International Relations & National Security Report

#18

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York

Hamilton College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Clinton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

Hamilton also took the #24 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hamilton is $17,205 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Hamilton College

#19

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 364 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $10,583 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida State International Relations & National Security Report

#20

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York

Colgate University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

Colgate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate is $16,525 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#21

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $7,358 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at CCNY

#22

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Carleton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carleton College is $16,716 for bachelor’s degree international relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Carleton

Top 10% in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Georgia Tech also did well on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $15,213 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgia Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Georgia Tech

#24

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Tufts University is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 160 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Tufts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $13,525 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 92%. 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.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Tufts

#25

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia

Virginia Military Institute ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. VMI is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 50 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, VMI is in the top on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Military Institute is $10,362 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Military Institute International Relations & National Security Report

Rest of the Best 38 in Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 38 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#27

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#32

Connecticut College

New London, Connecticut
#33

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#34

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#35

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#36

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#37

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#38

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York

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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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