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2026 Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in Minnesota

[International Relations & National Security](/majors/social-sciences/international-relations-national-security/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for international relations & national security students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in Minnesota

2026 Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in Minnesota

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

1

University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN

$17,214 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,167 Avg Student Debt

$69,020 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in international relations & national security, no school beat University Of Minnesota Twin Cities this year. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,214, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for international relations & national security graduates is $21,167. Early-career international relations & national security graduates make about $28,596. Set against $21,167 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.

2

Carleton College
Northfield, MN

$68,892 In-State Tuition & Fees

$17,566 Avg Student Debt

$75,525 Median Earnings (10yr)

Carleton College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in international relations & national security, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Northfield, Carleton College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,892. International Relations & National Security graduates carry a median of $17,566 in student loans. Soon after graduation, international relations & national security degree recipients from Carleton College generally make around $45,096. Set against $17,566 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 20% of applicants are accepted.

View All International Relations & National Security Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 9 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.