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2026 Highest Paid International Relations National Security Grads in California

[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.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying international relations national security schools.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid International Relations National Security Grads in California

2026 Highest Paid International Relations National Security Grads in California

Below are the schools whose international relations national security graduates go on to earn the most.

Highest Paid International Relations National Security Graduates

1

Monterey Institute Of International Studies
Monterey, CA

$99,255 Average Early-Career Salary

Monterey Institute Of International Studies tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying international relations national security schools in California. Monterey Institute Of International Studies is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Monterey. International Relations National Security graduates of Monterey Institute Of International Studies earn a median of about $99,255 a year early in their careers.

2

University Of California San Diego
La Jolla, CA

$97,237 Average Early-Career Salary

Strong graduate earnings at University Of California San Diego earned it the #2 place for international relations national security. University Of California San Diego is a public school located in the city of La Jolla. Early-career international relations national security graduates from University Of California San Diego make a median of around $97,237 per year.

3

San Diego State University
San Diego, CA

$63,873 Average Early-Career Salary

A rank of #3 makes San Diego State University one of the highest-paying schools for international relations national security. Set 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 $63,873 a year early in their careers.

View All International Relations National Security Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries international relations national security graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).

Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 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.

• 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.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.