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2024 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southeast Region

46 Colleges in the Southeast Region
3,190 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$39,347 Avg Early-Career Salary
International Relations & National Security is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #67 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 46 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,190 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 Southeast Region Your choice of international relations & national security school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for international relations & national security schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

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
Doctor's Degrees in International Relations

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for International Relations & National Security in the Southeast Region

The schools below may not offer all types of international relations degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in International Relations

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
208 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$45,350 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in international relations & national security has to look into University of Virginia - Main Campus. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 208 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Those international relations & national security students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus receive $6,003 more than the average international relations graduate.

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

2
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NC
53 International Relations Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat Duke University if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 53 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.

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

3
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$45,984 Median Starting Salary
$19,700 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat Emory University if you want to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were approximately 27 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from Emory University earn a boost of about $6,637 over the typical income of international relations & national security majors.

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

4
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
160 International Relations Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Virginia Tech if you want to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 160 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program report average early career income of $39,039.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Virginia Tech

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
286 International Relations Degrees Awarded
18.5% Growth in Graduates

UGA is a very large public university located in the city of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #72 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 286 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program earn an average of $34,590 for their early career.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 International Relations Degrees Awarded
16.7% Growth in Graduates

Georgia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Atlanta. A Best Colleges rank of #24 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 48 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security program at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus earn $14,421 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
259 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$51,291 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 259 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Those international relations & national security students who get their degree from George Mason University make $11,944 more than the typical international relations graduate.

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

8
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$43,636 Median Starting Salary

William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were approximately 72 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from William & Mary receive an earnings boost of around $4,289 over the typical earnings of international relations & national security majors.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from William & Mary

9
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
341 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$38,194 Median Starting Salary

Florida State is a very large public university located in the city of Tallahassee. A Best Colleges rank of #121 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 341 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, international relations degree recipients typically earn about $38,194 in the first five years of their career.

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

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 International Relations Degrees Awarded
1.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #78 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Tulane is a great university overall.

There were about 58 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Tulane in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, international relations degree recipients usually make an average of $35,401 in their early careers.

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

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 505
Florida 282 879
North Carolina 279 91
Virginia 274 1,114
Tennessee 269 108
South Carolina 248 61
Kentucky 244 68
Louisiana 242 58
Mississippi 234 58
Arkansas 234 48
Alabama 233 135
West Virginia 207 31

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 2,996
International Security 100
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 94

View All International Relations Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to International Relations

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 11,287
Economics 6,166
Sociology 6,134
General Social Sciences 3,011
Anthropology 2,083
Geography & Cartography 1,294
Urban Studies 168
Other Social Sciences 126
Sociology & Anthropology 120
Archeology 30

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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