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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security in the Great Lakes Region

43 Ranked Colleges
1,120 Degrees Awarded
$18,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 the Great Lakes region, there were 1,340 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,821 and $24,013 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,120 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank International Relations & National Security Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU International Relations & National Security Report

#2

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana
#25 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern Indiana. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 8 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

USI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at University of Southern Indiana

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kent State University at Kent landed the #3 spot on the list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students list, Kent State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

Full Kent State International Relations & National Security Report

#4

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 25 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Central Michigan University

#5

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Michigan University landed the #5 spot on the list. Eastern Michigan is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Full Eastern Michigan University International Relations & National Security Report

#6

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northern Michigan University is a medium-sized public school situated in Marquette, Michigan. It awarded 8 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $15,453 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Northern Michigan University

#7

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland State University is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $17,278 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

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

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 38 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

UC also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 Cincinnati - Main Campus

#9

Ashland University

Ashland, Ohio

With a ranking of #9, Ashland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ashland University is located in Ashland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Ashland University is $20,111 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Ashland

#10

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Toledo, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $17,630 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

Full University of Toledo International Relations & National Security Report

With a ranking of #11, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 178 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#12

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

Full Oakland University International Relations & National Security Report

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

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

#14

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 34 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,358 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Wheaton College Illinois International Relations & National Security Report

With a ranking of #15, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IUPUI, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at IUPUI

#16

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 100 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 91%.

Full IU Bloomington International Relations & National Security Report

#17

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 116 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 91%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Michigan State

#18

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students list, Bradley has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,634 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

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%. 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 more about International Relations & National Security at Bradley

With a ranking of #19, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford also took the #7 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,323 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Miami University - Oxford International Relations & National Security Report

#20

Walsh University

North Canton, Ohio

Walsh University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Walsh University is a small school located in North Canton, Ohio that handed out 2 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Walsh is $16,075 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Walsh International Relations & National Security Report

#21

Aquinas College Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #21, Aquinas College Michigan did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Grand Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Aquinas College Michigan is $18,549 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Aquinas College Michigan

#22

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McKendree University is $19,844 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

Full McKendree International Relations & National Security Report

#23

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Dominican University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students list, Dominican U has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Dominican University International Relations & National Security Report

#24

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Saint Xavier University 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $14,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students.

Full Saint Xavier University International Relations & National Security Report

#25

Muskingum University

New Concord, Ohio

Muskingum University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Muskingum is a small school located in New Concord, Ohio that handed out 1 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,157 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree international relations students per year to attend Muskingum University.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Muskingum University

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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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