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Most Popular Schools for International Relations & Security

2026 Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools

There are 449 colleges that offer a degree in International Relations & Security. Ranked by yearly graduations, here are the most popular below:

Finding the Best International Relations & Security School for You

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for International Relations & Security students. With more and more schools offering online options, you’re no longer limited to schools in your local area.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 449 schools in the United States offering International Relations & Security programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.

Check out the International Relations & Security programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the United States.

#1

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

The most popular school in the United States for International Relations & Security students is Johns Hopkins University. Located in Baltimore, MD, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 885 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $89,069. Read full report on International Relations & Security at Johns Hopkins University

#2

American University

Washington, DC

American University landed the #2 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. American University is a private nonprofit school located in Washington, DC. During the most recent year for which we have data, 794 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $50,329. Read full report on International Relations & Security at American University

George Washington University comes in at #3 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for International Relations & Security majors. Located in Washington, DC, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 716 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $66,952. Read More…

#4

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Georgetown University landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Georgetown University is a private nonprofit school located in Washington, DC. During the most recent year for which we have data, 639 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $76,027. Read More…

#5

Tufts University

Medford, MA

Tufts University landed the #5 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Located in Medford, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 334 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,641. Full International Relations & Security at Tufts University Report

#6

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL

Florida State University comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for International Relations & Security majors. Located in Tallahassee, FL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 301 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,895. Full International Relations & Security at Florida State University Report

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 266 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $75,228. Read More…

Naval Postgraduate School comes in at #8 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for International Relations & Security majors. Located in Monterey, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 249 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669. Full International Relations & Security at Naval Postgraduate School Report

#9

New York University

New York, NY

New York University landed the #9 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. New York University is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 239 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $59,956. Full International Relations & Security at New York University Report

#10

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

University of Georgia landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. University of Georgia is a public school located in Athens, GA. This school awarded 234 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,074. Read full report on International Relations & Security at University of Georgia

Florida International University landed the #11 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Located in Miami, FL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 233 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,919. Read More…

#12

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

George Mason University landed the #12 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Located in Fairfax, VA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 227 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $55,366. Read full report on International Relations & Security at George Mason University

#13

Boston University

Boston, MA

Boston University landed the #13 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Located in Boston, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 203 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $55,834. Full International Relations & Security at Boston University Report

#14

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago landed the #14 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. University of Chicago is a private nonprofit school located in Chicago, IL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 186 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $77,119. Full International Relations & Security at University of Chicago Report

#15

Brown University

Providence, RI

Brown University landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Located in Providence, RI, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 178 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $59,042. Read More…

#16

University of Denver

Denver, CO

University of Denver landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. University of Denver is a private nonprofit school located in Denver, CO. During the most recent year for which we have data, 174 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,181. Read full report on International Relations & Security at University of Denver

#17

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY

Syracuse University landed the #17 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Syracuse University is a private nonprofit school located in Syracuse, NY. This school awarded 169 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $50,956. Full International Relations & Security at Syracuse University Report

#18

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University comes in at #18 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for International Relations & Security majors. Located in Lynchburg, VA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 156 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,414. Read full report on International Relations & Security at Liberty University

#19

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Harvard University is a private nonprofit school located in Cambridge, MA. This school awarded 146 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $92,518. Read More…

#20

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA

University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #20 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school located in Charlottesville, VA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 145 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,471. Read More…

University of Southern California comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for International Relations & Security majors. University of Southern California is a private nonprofit school located in Los Angeles, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 142 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $63,275. Read More…

Ohio State University-Main Campus landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school located in Columbus, OH. During the most recent year for which we have data, 123 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,087. Full International Relations & Security at Ohio State University-Main Campus Report

#23

Indiana University-Bloomington

Bloomington, IN

Indiana University-Bloomington comes in at #23 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for International Relations & Security majors. Indiana University-Bloomington is a public school located in Bloomington, IN. This school awarded 122 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,621. Full International Relations & Security at Indiana University-Bloomington Report

Arizona State University Digital Immersion comes in at #24 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for International Relations & Security majors. Arizona State University Digital Immersion is a public school located in Scottsdale, AZ. During the most recent year for which we have data, 121 people earned their degree in International Relations & Security from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,210. Read full report on International Relations & Security at Arizona State University Digital Immersion

#25

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Yale University comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for International Relations & Security majors. Yale University is a private nonprofit school located in New Haven, CT. This school awarded 121 degrees in International Relations & Security in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,379. Read More…

#28

Fordham University

Bronx, NY
#30

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
#31

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ
#34

Stanford University

Stanford, CA
#35

Angelo State University

San Angelo, TX
#37

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
#38

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA
#39

Norwich University

Northfield, VT
#40

Troy University

Troy, AL
#41

CUNY City College

New York, NY
#42

Duke University

Durham, NC
#44

Northeastern University

Boston, MA
#45

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
#49

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, VA
#50

Fairmont State University

Fairmont, WV

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.

Rank College Location
51 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
52 University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA
53 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
54 Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Monterey, CA
55 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
56 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA
57 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
58 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
59 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
60 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
61 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
62 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
63 Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH
64 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
65 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY
66 DePaul University Chicago, IL
67 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
68 Brigham Young University Provo, UT
69 University of Mississippi University, MS
70 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
71 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
72 Baylor University Waco, TX
73 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
74 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
75 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
76 Carleton College Northfield, MN
77 Institute of World Politics Washington, DC
78 University of Delaware Newark, DE
79 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
80 CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY
81 Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR
82 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
83 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
84 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
85 University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC
86 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
87 Bellevue University Bellevue, NE
88 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
89 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
90 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
91 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
92 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA
93 Lafayette College Easton, PA
94 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
95 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA
96 University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA
97 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
98 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
99 Emory University Atlanta, GA
100 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
101 University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV
102 North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC
103 Regent University Virginia Beach, VA
104 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
105 Pennsylvania State University-World Campus University Park, PA
106 Rhodes College Memphis, TN
107 Suffolk University Boston, MA
108 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
109 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
110 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
111 Excelsior University Albany, NY
112 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
113 Wheaton College Wheaton, IL
114 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
115 New England College Henniker, NH
116 University of Idaho Moscow, ID
117 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
118 Salve Regina University Newport, RI
119 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
120 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
121 California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
122 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
123 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
124 Rice University Houston, TX
125 Towson University Towson, MD
126 University at Albany Albany, NY
127 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
128 University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD
129 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
130 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH
131 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
132 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
133 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
134 University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
135 Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA
136 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH
137 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
138 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
139 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
140 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
141 University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO
142 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
143 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
144 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
145 Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
146 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
147 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
148 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
149 Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ
150 SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY
151 State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY
152 The New School New York, NY
153 University of Maine Orono, ME
154 University of New Haven West Haven, CT
155 University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
156 University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI
157 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
158 Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean San Juan, PR
159 Drake University Des Moines, IA
160 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
161 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
162 Portland State University Portland, OR
163 St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX
164 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
165 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
166 University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN
167 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
168 SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY
169 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
170 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
171 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
172 Auburn University Auburn, AL
173 Denison University Granville, OH
174 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
175 Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA
176 Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN
177 University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD
178 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
179 Creighton University Omaha, NE
180 Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
181 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
182 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
183 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
184 Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA
185 Taylor University Upland, IN
186 The College of Wooster Wooster, OH
187 University of Maryland-Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
188 University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN
189 University of St Thomas Houston, TX
190 William Jewell College Liberty, MO
191 Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH
192 California State University-Chico Chico, CA
193 Drew University Madison, NJ
194 Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ
195 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
196 Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu, HI
197 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
198 Pomona College Claremont, CA
199 Roanoke College Salem, VA
200 Saint Joseph’s University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA

International Relations & Security by Region

View the Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools ranking for a specific region near you.

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

More International Relations & Security Rankings

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular International Relations & Security Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

International Relations & Security Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
International Relations 11,684
International Security 788
Other International Relations 563
Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 45,628
Political Science & Government 44,942
Sociology 31,380
General Social Sciences 17,510
Anthropology 10,768

References

*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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