2027 Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois
[International Relations & National Security](/majors/social-sciences/international-relations-national-security/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for international relations & national security students.
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2027 Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in international relations & national security, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools
University Of Chicago tops our 2027 list of the best value international relations & national security schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $69,324 in tuition and fees. International Relations & National Security graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans. Early-career international relations & national security graduates make about $66,182. That is a strong return on a $15,854 median debt. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Wheaton College Illinois one of the best values for international relations & national security. Located in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,546. International Relations & National Security graduates carry a median of $23,875 in student loans. Soon after graduation, international relations & national security degree recipients from Wheaton College Illinois generally make around $40,084. Set against $23,875 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wheaton College Illinois admits about 87% of applicants.
Depaul University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in international relations & national security, landing the #3 spot this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,405. International Relations & National Security graduates carry a median of $21,250 in student loans. Early-career international relations & national security graduates make about $41,610. That is a strong return on a $21,250 median debt. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
