2026 Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in Kentucky

[International Relations & National Security](/majors/social-sciences/international-relations-national-security/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for international relations & national security students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in Kentucky
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
Leading the list is University Of Kentucky, our #1 best value for international relations & national security in Kentucky. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,502, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. International Relations & National Security graduates carry a median of $24,094 in student loans. Early-career international relations & national security graduates make about $47,514. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Kentucky admits about 93% of applicants.
More International Relations & National Security Rankings
View All International Relations & National Security Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.