by our College Data Analytics Team
[International Relations National Security](/majors/social-sciences/international-relations-national-security/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a international relations national security degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the early-career earnings of their international relations national security graduates.
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If you want to know which schools send international relations national security graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in international relations national security, no school beat Stanford University this year. Set in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, international relations national security degree recipients from Stanford University typically earn about $128,687 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in international relations national security will find them at Monterey Institute Of International Studies, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Monterey, Monterey Institute Of International Studies is a private not-for-profit institution. International Relations National Security graduates of Monterey Institute Of International Studies earn a median of about $116,041 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in international relations national security will find them at Gonzaga University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the international relations national security program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,710.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Southern California earned it the #4 place for international relations national security. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. International Relations National Security graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of about $87,675 a year early in their careers.
Lewis And Clark College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying international relations national security schools. Lewis And Clark College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Portland. Students who complete the international relations national security program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,511.
University Of San Diego placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for international relations national security. Set in the city of San Diego, University Of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution. International Relations National Security graduates of University Of San Diego earn a median of about $68,437 a year early in their careers.
Occidental College came in at #7 for international relations national security graduate earnings this year. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. International Relations National Security graduates of Occidental College earn a median of about $84,200 a year early in their careers.
Eastern Washington University came in at #8 for international relations national security graduate earnings this year. Eastern Washington University is a public school located in the town of Cheney. After graduating, international relations national security degree recipients from Eastern Washington University typically earn about $54,792 annually.
University Of California Davis landed the #9 spot for international relations national security salaries this year. University Of California Davis is a public school located in the suburb of Davis. Early-career international relations national security graduates from University Of California Davis make a median of around $68,661 per year.
San Diego State University earned the #10 position for international relations national security graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of San Diego, San Diego State University is a public institution. International Relations National Security graduates of San Diego State University earn a median of about $67,020 a year early in their careers.
California State University Chico placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for international relations national security. Set in the city of Chico, California State University Chico is a public institution. International Relations National Security graduates of California State University Chico earn a median of about $51,736 a year early in their careers.
University Of San Francisco placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for international relations national security. Located in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, international relations national security degree recipients from University Of San Francisco typically earn about $53,544 annually.
University Of Puget Sound placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for international relations national security. Set in the city of Tacoma, University Of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit institution. International Relations National Security graduates of University Of Puget Sound earn a median of about $65,403 a year early in their careers.
San Francisco State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying international relations national security schools. San Francisco State University is a public school located in the city of San Francisco. Students who complete the international relations national security program here go on to a median salary of roughly $54,685.
University Of California Riverside landed the #15 spot for international relations national security salaries this year. University Of California Riverside is a public school located in the city of Riverside. After graduating, international relations national security degree recipients from University Of California Riverside typically earn about $56,758 annually.
University Of Nevada Reno landed the #16 spot for international relations national security salaries this year. University Of Nevada Reno is a public school located in the city of Reno. Students who complete the international relations national security program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,794.
Loyola Marymount University came in at #17 for international relations national security graduate earnings this year. Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Early-career international relations national security graduates from Loyola Marymount University make a median of around $34,575 per year.
Portland State University placed #18 among the highest-paying schools for international relations national security. Located in the city of Portland, Portland State University is a public institution. International Relations National Security graduates of Portland State University earn a median of about $36,229 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their international relations national security graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 18 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.