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2024 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Great Lakes Region

35 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,355 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$34,297 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in international relations & national security is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #67 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 35 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for international relations & national security students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,355 degrees in international relations & national security during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School

Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of international relations & national security school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall International Relations & National Security School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your International Relations & National Security Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in International Relations
Master's Degrees in International Relations

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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for International Relations & National Security in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the international relations degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in International Relations

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 International Relations Degrees Awarded
11.9% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 42 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security degree program at Northwestern University get $12,153 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Northwestern University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
162 International Relations Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

University of Chicago is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in international relations & national security. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 162 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security major at University of Chicago get $9,049 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Chicago

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 International Relations Degrees Awarded
16.1% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Indiana University - Bloomington if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 124 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, international relations degree recipients usually earn around $28,104 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Indiana University - Bloomington

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
176 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$31,674 Median Starting Salary

Ohio State University - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 176 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. After graduation, international relations degree recipients generally make around $31,674 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Ohio State University - Main Campus

5
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
106 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$42,937 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 106 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security program at Michigan State University get $8,640 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Michigan State University

6
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, OH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In OH

Located in the small suburb of Granville, Denison is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #162 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Denison is a great university overall.

There were about 17 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Denison in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Denison University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$33,417 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #257 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Wheaton College Illinois is a great college overall.

There were roughly 34 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program report average early career wages of $33,417.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Wheaton College Illinois

8
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 International Relations Degrees Awarded
30.8% Growth in Graduates

Marquette is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Milwaukee. A Best Colleges rank of #130 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Marquette is a great university overall.

There were roughly 39 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Marquette in the most recent data year. Those international relations & national security students who get their degree from Marquette University receive $3,140 more than the typical international relations grad.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Marquette University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$36,377 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #116 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 91 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Those international relations & national security students who get their degree from Miami University - Oxford earn $2,080 more than the typical international relations grad.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Miami University - Oxford

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In WI
65.0% Growth in Graduates

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 20 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Wisconsin - Madison

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges by State

Explore the best international relations & national security schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 212
Ohio 314 444
Illinois 304 297
Indiana 294 201
Wisconsin 273 76

View All Rankings >

International Relations & National Security is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

International Relations Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
International Relations 1,290
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 39
International Security 26

View All International Relations Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 6,916
Political Science & Government 5,797
Sociology 3,166
Anthropology 1,189
Geography & Cartography 1,187
General Social Sciences 568
Other Social Sciences 200
Urban Studies 133
Sociology & Anthropology 87
Archeology 65

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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