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2023 Best International Studies Schools

143 Colleges
$34,198 Avg Salary
$21,594 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best International Studies School for You

International Studies is the #102 most popular major in the country with 7,368 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best International Studies Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 143 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best International Studies Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best for international studies majors pursuing a .

Top 15% Best International Studies Schools

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Our 2023 rankings named University of Pennsylvania the best school in the United States for international studies students. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Full International Studies at University of Pennsylvania Report

#2

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Carnegie Mellon University is a great place for international studies students. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh.

Read full report on International Studies at Carnegie Mellon University

#3

Tufts University

Medford, MA

Out of the 143 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Tufts University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Tufts is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford.

Read full report on International Studies at Tufts University

#4

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best International Studies Schools list. UNI is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great place for international studies students. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on International Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#6

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

University of Notre Dame ranked #6 on this year’s Best International Studies Schools list. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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University of California - Berkeley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best International Studies Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on International Studies at University of California - Berkeley

#8

Bentley University

Waltham, MA

Bentley University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for international studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the small city of Waltham, Bentley is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Read full report on International Studies at Bentley University

University of Southern California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best International Studies Schools ranking. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Read full report on International Studies at University of Southern California

#10

George Fox University

Newberg, OR

George Fox University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for international studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the town of Newberg, GFU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full International Studies at George Fox University Report

#11

Colby College

Waterville, ME

Colby College ranked #11 on this year’s Best International Studies Schools list. Located in the town of Waterville, Colby is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on International Studies at Colby College

University of California - San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best International Studies Schools list. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the large city of La Jolla.

The average amount in student loans that international studies majors at UCSD take out is $15,500. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $247.

Full International Studies at University of California - San Diego Report

Washington University in St Louis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best International Studies Schools ranking. WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.

On average, international studies graduates from WUSTL take out $19,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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University of California - Los Angeles came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best International Studies Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, international studies graduates from UCLA carry an average student debtload of $12,000.

Full International Studies at University of California - Los Angeles Report

With a ranking of #15, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on this year’s best schools for international studies students. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public school with a fairly large student population.

International Studies majors at UT Austin take out an average of $19,500 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $188.

Read More…

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best International Studies Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a very large student population.

International Studies majors at UCSB take out an average of $14,370 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $295.

Read full report on International Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

#17

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best international studies programs. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chestnut Hill.

After completing their degree, international studies graduates from Boston College carry an average student debtload of $18,000.

Read full report on International Studies at Boston College

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #18 on this year’s Best International Studies Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a fairly large student population.

International Studies majors at U-M take out an average of $14,866 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $430.

Read full report on International Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Miami University - Oxford landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best international studies programs. Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full International Studies at Miami University - Oxford Report

With a ranking of #20, Grand Valley State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for international studies students. Located in the large suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public school with a very large student population.

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Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #21 on this year’s Best International Studies Schools list. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public school located in the city of College Station.

On average, international studies graduates from Texas A&M College Station take out $16,620 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $281.

Read More…

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for International Studies students that almost earned our Best International Studies Schools award.

Rank College Location
22 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
23 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
24 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
25 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
26 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
27 Washington State University Pullman, WA
28 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA

International Studies by Region

View the Best International Studies Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 44 majors within the area of study, international studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 34,975
Biological & Physical Science 30,075
Interdisciplinary Studies 9,074
Nutrition Science 5,330
Behavioral Science 4,169

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Yerpo.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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