2027 Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in District of Columbia
[International Relations & National Security](/majors/social-sciences/international-relations-national-security/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
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 District of Columbia
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
For return on investment in international relations & national security, no school beat George Washington University this year. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. International Relations & National Security graduates carry a median of $22,000 in student loans. International Relations & National Security graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $61,820 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,000 median debt. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Georgetown University one of the best values for international relations & national security. Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,089. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete the international relations & national security program here. Early-career international relations & national security graduates make about $69,394. That is a strong return on a $17,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 13%.
Students looking for strong value in international relations & national security will find it at American University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. International Relations & National Security graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. International Relations & National Security graduates of American University earn a median of $58,712 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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.
