2023 Best Value International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best International Relations & National Security School for You
In 2020-2021, 1,122 degrees and certificates were awarded to international relations and national security students who went to a Virginia college or university. This makes it the #31 most popular major in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Value International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in Virginia to see which programs offered the best value experiences for international relations students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best International Relations & National Security Schools
Our analysis found James Madison University to be the best value school for international relations and national security students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public school with a very large student population.
JMU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,638 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that international relations majors at JMU take out is $19,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $466, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
JMU also claimed a spot on our Best International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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The excellent programs at Virginia Tech helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best international relations and national security schools in Virginia. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $14,174 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, international relations graduates from Virginia Tech carry an average student debtload of $24,529.
Virginia Tech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia list.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Virginia - Main Campus is a great value for international relations and national security students. University of Virginia is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.
University of Virginia undergraduate students pay an average of $19,785 in in-state tuition and fees each year. International Relations majors at University of Virginia take out an average of $19,977 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $236.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Virginia is ranked #1 for overall quality for international relations in Virginia.
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Out of the 14 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the # 4 spot on the list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GMU are $13,119 per year. After completing their degree, international relations graduates from GMU carry an average student debtload of $22,849. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $322.
GMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia list.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at George Mason University
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Out of the 14 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.
Liberty University undergraduate students pay an average of $16,160 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, international relations graduates from Liberty University take out $24,625 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of Mary Washington landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value international relations and national security programs. UMW is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMW are $13,800 a year. After completing their degree, international relations graduates from UMW carry an average student debtload of $25,543.
Full International Relations & National Security at University of Mary Washington Report
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Virginia Military Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for international relations and national security students. It came in at #7 on the list. VMI is a small public school located in the distant town of Lexington.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at VMI are $19,670 per year. On average, international relations graduates from VMI take out $20,977 in student loans while working on their degree.
VMI did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia list.
Full International Relations & National Security at Virginia Military Institute Report
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With a ranking of #8, Old Dominion University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for international relations and national security students. Old Dominion is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Norfolk.
Old Dominion undergraduate students pay an average of $10,800 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, international relations majors at Old Dominion accumulate an average of around $23,375 in student debt.
Full International Relations & National Security at Old Dominion University Report
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With a ranking of #9, William & Mary did quite well on this year’s best value schools for international relations and national security students. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at William & Mary are $23,812 a year. The average amount in student loans that international relations majors at William & Mary take out is $21,634.
William & Mary also made our Best International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #5.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at William & Mary
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Roanoke College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Salem, Roanoke is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Roanoke undergraduate students pay an average of $48,180 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Roanoke excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best International Relations & Security Schools in Virginia list.
Request InformationBest Value International Relations & National Security Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 505 |
| North Carolina | 113 |
| Florida | 879 |
| Tennessee | 109 |
| Kentucky | 68 |
| South Carolina | 61 |
| Louisiana | 58 |
| Arkansas | 48 |
| Alabama | 137 |
| Mississippi | 58 |
| West Virginia | 31 |
More International Relations & National Security Rankings in Virginia
International Relations & National Security Related Majors for International Relations
International Relations & National Security is one of 12 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to International Relations
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 49,282 |
| Economics | 49,055 |
| Sociology | 38,475 |
| General Social Sciences | 18,997 |
| Anthropology | 11,415 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 14 schools only.
- 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 RepubFan12.
More about our data sources and methodologies.