Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor's Degree Schools

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor's Degree Schools

364 Colleges
$35,987 Avg Salary
$21,455 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 14,306 people earned a degree or certificate in international relations and national security, making the major the #66 most popular in the United States.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 364 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the International Relations & National Security program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for international relations majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Our 2023 rankings named George Washington University the most popular school in the United States for international relations and national security students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 64% of the international relations majors at the school.

The average amount in student loans that international relations majors at GWU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $20,286. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $515, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full International Relations & National Security at George Washington University Report

#2

American University

Washington, DC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. The American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.

Women make up 65% of the international relations majors at the school.

On average, international relations graduates from The American University take out $22,193 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $646.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at American University

#3

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL

The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Florida State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular international relations and national security schools in the United States. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public college with a very large student population.

About 58% of the students majoring in international relations at the school are women while 42% are male.

International Relations majors at Florida State take out an average of $19,446 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $173, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Florida State University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Miami, FIU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Of the 302 students majoring in international relations at FIU, 36% are male and 64% are female.

On average, international relations graduates from FIU take out $21,948 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Florida International University

#5

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Out of the 364 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Of the 289 students majoring in international relations at Georgetown, 36% are male and 64% are female.

Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $690.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Georgetown University

#6

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

University of Georgia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for international relations and national security students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Athens, UGA is a public college with a fairly large student population.

About 66% of the students majoring in international relations at the school are women while 34% are male.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, international relations majors at UGA accumulate an average of around $19,197 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $205, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at University of Georgia

#7

Boston University

Boston, MA

With a ranking of #7, Boston University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for international relations and national security students working on their bachelor’s degree. Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.

Women make up 60% of the international relations majors at the school.

International Relations majors at Boston U take out an average of $21,322 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $682.

Full International Relations & National Security at Boston University Report

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a very large student population.

Of the 203 students majoring in international relations at University of Virginia, 48% are male and 52% are female.

International Relations majors at University of Virginia take out an average of $18,391 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $236.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#9

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

With a ranking of #9, George Mason University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for international relations and national security students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public college with a very large student population.

About 65% of the students majoring in international relations at the school are women while 35% are male.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, international relations majors at GMU accumulate an average of around $21,641 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $322, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at George Mason University

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree international relations and national security programs. Ohio State is a very large public school located in the large city of Columbus.

Women make up 55% of the international relations majors at the school.

International Relations majors at Ohio State take out an average of $20,580 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $255, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Ohio State University - Main Campus

University of Southern California ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

About 57% of the students majoring in international relations at the school are women while 43% are male.

International Relations majors at USC take out an average of $15,490 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $340.

Full International Relations & National Security at University of Southern California Report

#12

Tufts University

Medford, MA

Tufts University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree international relations and national security programs. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Women make up 49% of the international relations majors at the school.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Tufts University

#13

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Tech landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree international relations and national security programs. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 67% of the international relations majors at the school.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Virginia Tech

University of California - Davis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for international relations and national security students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. UC Davis is a very large public school located in the small suburb of Davis.

Women make up 74% of the international relations majors at the school.

On average, international relations graduates from UC Davis take out $13,291 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $376.

Full International Relations & National Security at University of California - Davis Report

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree international relations and national security programs. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public school with a fairly large student population.

About 70% of the students majoring in international relations at the school are women while 30% are male.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Indiana University - Bloomington

#16

University of Denver

Denver, CO

University of Denver did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for international relations and national security students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the large city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 113 students majoring in international relations at DU, 31% are male and 69% are female.

International Relations majors at DU take out an average of $18,709 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $652, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#17

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

With a ranking of #17, Michigan State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for international relations and national security students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 106 students majoring in international relations at Michigan State, 45% are male and 55% are female.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, international relations graduates from Michigan State carry an average student debt load of $24,521. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $366.

Read More…

#18

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree international relations and national security programs. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Women make up 68% of the international relations majors at the school.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Johns Hopkins University

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public school with a very large student population.

Of the 99 students majoring in international relations at UMN Twin Cities, 26% are male and 74% are female.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, international relations graduates from UMN Twin Cities carry an average student debt load of $21,031. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $206.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#20

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY

Syracuse University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree international relations and national security programs. Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse.

About 58% of the students majoring in international relations at the school are women while 42% are male.

Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $479.

Full International Relations & National Security at Syracuse University Report

#21

Fordham University

Bronx, NY

Fordham University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Fordham U is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Bronx.

About 76% of the students majoring in international relations at the school are women while 24% are male.

When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $900.

Read More…

Miami University - Oxford landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree international relations and national security programs. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school located in the town of Oxford.

Women make up 66% of the international relations majors at the school.

Full International Relations & National Security at Miami University - Oxford Report

University of California - Riverside ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. UCR is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Riverside.

About 55% of the students majoring in international relations at the school are women while 45% are male.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, international relations graduates from UCR carry an average student debt load of $19,253.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at University of California - Riverside

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Embry-Riddle Prescott is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Prescott.

Women make up 40% of the international relations majors at the school.

For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $712.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott

#25

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

With a ranking of #25, James Madison University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for international relations and national security students working on their bachelor’s degree. JMU is a very large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg.

Of the 78 students majoring in international relations at JMU, 40% are male and 60% are female.

When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $466.

Read More…

#26

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
#28

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ
#29

Northeastern University

Boston, MA
#30

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA
#31

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA
#33

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, LA
#35

Excelsior College

Albany, NY
#35

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL
#35

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, VA
#38

University of Delaware

Newark, DE
#39

University of Mississippi

University, MS
#40

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA
#41

New York University

New York, NY
#43

SUNY Geneseo

Geneseo, NY
#44

Angelo State University

San Angelo, TX
#44

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA
#44

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA
#47

Yale University

New Haven, CT
#49

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR
#50

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 364 different United States international relations and national security schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
51 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
53 Lafayette College Easton, PA
54 Brown University Providence, RI

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
55 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
55 Carleton College Northfield, MN
57 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
57 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
57 Baylor University Waco, TX
60 University of Idaho Moscow, ID
60 Norwich University Northfield, VT
60 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
60 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
60 Towson University Towson, MD
65 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
65 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
67 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
67 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
69 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
69 Stanford University Stanford, CA
69 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
72 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
72 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
72 Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR
72 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA

International Relations & National Security by Region

View the Most Popular International Relations & Security Bachelor's Degree 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 12 majors within the area of study, international relations and national security has other similar majors worth exploring.

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 25 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.