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2024 Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
231 Bachelor's Degrees
$37,348 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in international relations & national security, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #58 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 231 bachelor's degrees in international relations & national security during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois The international relations bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality international relations program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for international relations & national security students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank International Relations & National Security Schools

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 Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study International Relations & National Security in Illinois

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in international relations & national security.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Bachelor's in International Relations

1

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in international relations & national security has to take a look at University of Chicago. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

International Relations & National Security bachelor's degree recipients from University of Chicago earn a boost of around $5,229 above the average earnings of international relations & national security graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from University of Chicago

2
42 Annual Graduates
$46,450 Median Starting Salary
$19,234 Median Student Debt

It is difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in international relations & national security. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.

Those international relations & national security students who get their bachelor's degree from Northwestern University make $9,103 more than the average international relations grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from Northwestern University

3
34 Annual Graduates
$33,417 Median Starting Salary
$23,875 Median Student Debt

Wheaton College Illinois is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in international relations & national security. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Wheaton.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program make around $33,417 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from Wheaton College Illinois

4
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL

Lake Forest College is a good option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After graduating, international relations bachelor's recipients usually make around $37,646 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from Lake Forest College

5
62 Annual Graduates
$33,076 Median Starting Salary
$21,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Soon after graduating, international relations bachelor's recipients usually make around $33,076 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from Loyola University Chicago

6
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
21 Annual Graduates
$30,920 Median Starting Salary
$21,250 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Soon after graduation, international relations bachelor's recipients generally earn around $30,920 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from DePaul University

7
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, IL
8 Annual Graduates

Knox is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Galesburg.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from Knox College

8
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
4 Annual Graduates

Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of River Forest.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from Dominican University

9
7 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from Roosevelt University

10

Located in the large suburb of Lebanon, McKendree is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in international relations & national security from McKendree University

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 261 209
Ohio 252 412
Indiana 235 192
Wisconsin 213 42

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One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, International Relations & National Security has other similar majors worth exploring.

International Relations Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
International Relations 231

Majors Similar to International Relations

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 1,771
Political Science & Government 1,314
Sociology 741
Anthropology 219
Geography & Cartography 149
Sociology & Anthropology 44
Other Social Sciences 31
General Social Sciences 11
Urban Studies 11
Archeology 2

Notes and References

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