College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security in the Great Lakes Region

65 Ranked Colleges
1,086 Degrees Awarded
$32,939 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 14,306 people earned their degree in international relations and national security, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, international relations and national security graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $41,288 and had an average of $21,455 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,355 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,297 and $22,820 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,086 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 65 colleges that offered a degree in international relations and national security. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in international relations and national security.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More International Relations Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security in the Great Lakes Region

1
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Beloit College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Beloit College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beloit, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Beloit International Relations & National Security Report

2
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wheaton College Illinois. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 34 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois International Relations & National Security Report

3
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Principia College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region. Principia College is located in Elsah, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Principia College

4
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lake Forest College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest International Relations & National Security Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The College of Wooster. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wooster, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full The College of Wooster International Relations & National Security Report

6
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, Ohio

Denison University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Denison University

7
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Knox College is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Knox College

8
Anderson University Indiana crest
Anderson University Indiana
Anderson, Indiana

Anderson University Indiana came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Anderson University Indiana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Anderson, Indiana. It awarded 6 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Anderson University Indiana

9

University of Mount Union came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Alliance, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Mount Union International Relations & National Security Report

10
Wittenberg crest
Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio

Wittenberg University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wittenberg University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Springfield, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Wittenberg International Relations & National Security Report

11
K College crest
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Kalamazoo College International Relations & National Security Report

12
Taylor U crest
Taylor University
Upland, Indiana

Taylor University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Taylor U is a small school located in Upland, Indiana that handed out 7 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Taylor University

13

Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 91 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Miami University - Oxford

14
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 62 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Loyola University Chicago International Relations & National Security Report

15

With a ranking of #15, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 176 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Ohio State

16
Aquinas College Michigan crest
Aquinas College Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Aquinas College Michigan came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Aquinas College Michigan is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 4 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Aquinas College Michigan

17
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 119 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at IU Bloomington

18

Indiana Wesleyan University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Marion, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IWU International Relations & National Security Report

19
Tiffin University crest
Tiffin University
Tiffin, Ohio

Tiffin University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Tiffin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tiffin, Ohio. It awarded 6 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Tiffin University International Relations & National Security Report

20
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 106 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Michigan State

21
Earlham crest
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana

Earlham College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Earlham College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Richmond, Indiana. It awarded 2 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Earlham

22
Calvin crest
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Calvin University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Calvin University International Relations & National Security Report

23
Indiana University - Southeast crest
Indiana University - Southeast
New Albany, Indiana

With a ranking of #23, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Southeast is located in New Albany, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Indiana University - Southeast

24
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Marquette University is a fairly large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 25 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Marquette

25
Walsh crest
Walsh University
North Canton, Ohio

Walsh University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Relations Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Walsh University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in North Canton, Ohio. It awarded 5 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Walsh

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options