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2024 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
389 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$39,470 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.

College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 389 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 Illinois 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

The international relations school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois. 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 Illinois

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 Illinois Schools in International Relations

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

It is hard to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue 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 roughly 42 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of approximately $6,980 above the typical earnings of international relations & national security majors.

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

Any student pursuing a degree in international relations & national security needs to take a look at University of Chicago. 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 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 162 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security program at University of Chicago get $3,875 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$33,417 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in international relations & national security has to check out Wheaton College Illinois. Located in the 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 schools 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 data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program report average early career earnings of $33,417.

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

4
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL

Lake Forest College is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in international relations & national security. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Lake Forest. This college ranks 13th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 16 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Lake Forest in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program earn an average of $37,646 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Lake Forest College

5
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$39,242 Median Starting Salary

DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 39 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program state that they receive average early career income of $39,242.

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

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$33,076 Median Starting Salary

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 62 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program earn about $33,076 in the first couple years of working.

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

7
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In IL
12.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Galesburg, Knox is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 770th out of 2,217 schools for overall quality nationwide.

There were about 8 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Knox in the most recent data year.

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

8
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In IL

Located in the large suburb of River Forest, Dominican U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 30th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 4 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Dominican U in the most recent year we have data available.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In IL
42.9% Growth in Graduates

Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. This university ranks 38th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 7 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Roosevelt in the most recent year we have data available.

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

10

McKendree is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Lebanon. This university ranks 59th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.More information about a degree 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 Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 212
Ohio 314 444
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 382
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 7

View All International Relations Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 2,155
Political Science & Government 1,470
Sociology 841
Anthropology 288
Geography & Cartography 201
General Social Sciences 197
Sociology & Anthropology 44
Other Social Sciences 32
Urban Studies 15
Archeology 2

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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