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 schools below stand out for the salaries their international relations national security graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their international relations national security graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose international relations national security graduates go on to earn the most.
Tufts University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid international relations national security graduates in Massachusetts. Set in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. International Relations National Security graduates of Tufts University earn a median of about $104,887 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in international relations national security will find them at University Of Massachusetts Lowell, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Lowell, University Of Massachusetts Lowell is a public institution. Students who complete the international relations national security program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,146.
Boston University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in international relations national security, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Boston, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career international relations national security graduates from Boston University make a median of around $75,900 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Northeastern University earned it the #4 place for international relations national security. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. After graduating, international relations national security degree recipients from Northeastern University typically earn about $60,311 annually.
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.