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2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

249 Ranked Colleges
9,567 Degrees Awarded
$14,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

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 Getting Aid” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 249 colleges that offer a degree in international relations and national security. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international relations and national security programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank International Relations & National Security Schools

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 For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security (With Aid)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $17,549 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend Yale.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Yale University International Relations & National Security Report

#2

The City College of New York

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The City College of New York. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,385 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend CCNY.

Full CCNY International Relations & National Security Report

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $11,496 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Stanford University

#4

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid list, Claremont McKenna has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna is $22,161 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Claremont McKenna International Relations & National Security Report

Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #5 spot on the list. 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.

It costs about $7,296 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend FIU.

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

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at FIU

#6

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #6, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 270 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia also took the #11 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $20,397 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#7

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 364 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,789 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend Florida State.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Florida State University

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,355 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus International Relations & National Security Report

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Brigham Young University - Provo is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo International Relations & National Security Report

#10

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UWF is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,406 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend UWF.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at UWF

Top 10% in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Georgia Tech is also in the top of our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,739 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Georgia Tech

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,318 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Full California State University - Bakersfield International Relations & National Security Report

#13

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $13,253 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 IU Bloomington

#14

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 88 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,800 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

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 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 William & Mary International Relations & National Security Report

#15

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 227 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UGA is also in the top of our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $13,649 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UGA International Relations & National Security Report

#16

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,871 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid per year to attend UCR.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 UCR

#17

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 44 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #4 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $25,802 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid per year to attend UPenn.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at UPenn

University of California - Davis ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 169 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also claimed a top spot on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at University of California - Davis

#19

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 116 students in 2019-2020.

Michigan State excels when it comes to international relations quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $19,173 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Michigan State

#20

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #20, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $29,342 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 97%.

Full Johns Hopkins University International Relations & National Security Report

#21

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,788 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend SDSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at SDSU

#22

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

With a ranking of #22, University of North Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UNG is a fairly large public school situated in Dahlonega, Georgia. It awarded 30 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Georgia is $10,396 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at UNG

#23

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 7 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,435 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at University of Missouri - St Louis

#24

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Angelo, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,819 for bachelor’s degree international relations students with aid per year to attend Angelo State.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Angelo State

#25

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Wellesley College is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Wellesley also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley College is $22,087 for Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wellesley International Relations & National Security Report

Rest of the Best 38 in Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

#26

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#28

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#29

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#30

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia
#31

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#32

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#34

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#36

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#37

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

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.

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