by our College Data Analytics Team
[International Relations National Security](/majors/social-sciences/international-relations-national-security/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a international relations national security degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying international relations national security schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose international relations national security graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in international relations national security, no school beat Emory University this year. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory 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 $80,251.
University Of Georgia produces some of the highest-paid graduates in international relations national security, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a public institution. After graduating, international relations national security degree recipients from University Of Georgia typically earn about $67,971 annually.
University Of North Georgia came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying international relations national security schools. University Of North Georgia is a public school located in the town of Dahlonega. After graduating, international relations national security degree recipients from University Of North Georgia typically earn about $61,391 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Kennesaw State University one of the highest-paying schools for international relations national security. Kennesaw State University is a public school located in the suburb of Kennesaw. International Relations National Security graduates of Kennesaw State University earn a median of about $55,715 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Georgia Southern University earned it the #5 place for international relations national security. Georgia Southern University is a public school located in the town of Statesboro. Early-career international relations national security graduates from Georgia Southern University make a median of around $41,651 per year.
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 · 5 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.