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2024 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Plains States Region

19 Colleges in the Plains States Region
410 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$39,421 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in international relations & national security, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #67 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 19 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 410 degrees in international relations & national security during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School

Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Plains States Region The international relations program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for International Relations & National Security rankings. For our Best Overall International Relations & National Security School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

International Relations & National Security Rankings by 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 Plains States Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for International Relations & National Security in the Plains States Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the international relations degree levels they offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in International Relations

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In MO

It is hard to beat Washington University in St Louis if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 5 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Washington University in St Louis

2
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MN
38 International Relations Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in international relations & national security has to check out Carleton College. Carleton is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield. A Best Colleges rank of #93 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carleton is a great college overall.

There were roughly 38 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Carleton in the most recent data year.

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

3
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$65,496 Median Starting Salary

Webster University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #219 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Webster is a great university overall.

There were about 53 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Webster in the most recent data year. Those international relations & national security students who get their degree from Webster University earn $26,075 more than the standard international relations graduate.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 International Relations Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 99 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program earn about $31,291 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

5
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
35 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$37,556 Median Starting Salary

Iowa is a very large public university located in the city of Iowa City. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were about 35 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, international relations degree recipients usually make an average of $37,556 in their early careers.

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

6
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IA

Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #224 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Drake is a great university overall.

There were about 12 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Drake in the most recent data year.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NE
12.5% Growth in Graduates

Creighton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Omaha. A Best Colleges rank of #105 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Creighton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 8 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Creighton in the most recent year we have data available.

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In MN

UMN Duluth is a moderately-sized public university located in the small city of Duluth. This university ranks 9th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 12 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UMN Duluth in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Minnesota - Duluth

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In MN

Located in the large city of Saint Paul, UST MN is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UST MN is a great university overall.

There were about 5 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UST MN in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of St Thomas Minnesota

10
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO

SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Louis. This university ranks 7th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 13 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at SLU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program make around $27,893 for their early career.

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

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 202
Missouri 283 83
Kansas 266 10
Iowa 264 73
Nebraska 238 29

View All Rankings >

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 382
International Security 16
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 12

View All International Relations Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 2,307
Economics 2,132
Sociology 1,248
Anthropology 580
General Social Sciences 520
Geography & Cartography 494
Other Social Sciences 171
Urban Studies 73
Sociology & Anthropology 48
Archeology 16

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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