Majors

Best Colleges for International Relations, by Earnings

296 of the colleges we track award a bachelor's degree in International Relations, about 7,997 degrees a year. Across the 111 that report earnings, graduates make a median of $66,180 four years after finishing.

Rank	College	State	Median earnings, 4 years out	Degrees a year	Acceptance rate
1	Johns Hopkins University	MD	$99,205	80	6.4%
2	Claremont McKenna College	CA	$96,520	28	9.6%
3	Fairfield University	CT	$94,347	4	33.3%
4	Middlebury College	VT	$92,728	48	10.8%
5	Stanford University	CA	$91,075	61	3.6%
6	College of William & Mary	VA	$91,065	95	34.1%
7	Bucknell University	PA	$90,393	24	28.9%
8	Angelo State University	TX	$87,991	20	83%
9	University of Pennsylvania	PA	$87,439	46	5.4%
10	Brown University	RI	$86,780	137	5.4%
11	University of Southern California	CA	$84,866	145	9.8%
12	University of Miami	FL	$84,474	25	18.9%
13	University of Virginia	VA	$82,991	184	16.8%
14	Georgetown University	DC	$82,197	283	12.9%
15	Lehigh University	PA	$79,569	32	25.9%
16	Georgia Institute of Technology	GA	$79,264	26	14.1%
17	Emory University	GA	$78,029	33	10.7%
18	Tufts University	MA	$77,998	153	11.5%
19	Hobart William Smith Colleges	NY	$77,977	15	64%
20	Tulane University of Louisiana	LA	$77,300	55	14%
21	Fordham University	NY	$77,234	96	59.3%
22	Colgate University	NY	$77,199	44	13.9%
23	George Washington University	DC	$76,751	511	47.1%
24	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott	AZ	$75,520	92	76.6%
25	Northeastern University	MA	$74,816	41	5.2%
26	Michigan State University	MI	$74,709	110	84.8%
27	Northwestern University	IL	$74,477	28	7.7%
28	American University	DC	$73,865	387	62%
29	Virginia Military Institute	VA	$72,700	56	71.3%
30	Virginia Tech	VA	$71,988	138	54.8%
31	Connecticut College	CT	$71,960	15	37%
32	Seton Hall University	NJ	$71,949	62	73.3%
33	Fairmont State University	WV	$71,751	36	98.6%
34	Brigham Young University	UT	$71,622	42	67.8%
35	Liberty University	VA	$71,436	33	99%
36	Pennsylvania State University	PA	$71,001	138	60.6%
37	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus	PA	$71,001	42	91.2%
38	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley	PA	$71,001	1	97.4%
39	University of Georgia	GA	$70,510	221	37.7%
40	Rollins College	FL	$70,502	21	47.5%
41	Occidental College	CA	$70,394	50	44.2%
42	George Mason University	VA	$69,399	120	87.5%
43	James Madison University	VA	$68,798	53	71.5%
44	DePaul University	IL	$68,180	31	75.9%
45	Syracuse University	NY	$68,049	94	45.9%
46	Norwich University	VT	$68,004	39	74.4%
47	Washington College	MD	$67,983	7	56.9%
48	University of North Georgia	GA	$67,692	34	67.9%
49	University of Rochester	NY	$67,531	20	40.1%
50	Baylor University	TX	$67,484	37	51.3%
51	Miami University-Oxford	OH	$67,301	42	75.4%
52	University of California-Davis	CA	$67,056	125	41.8%
53	The College of New Jersey	NJ	$67,001	17	62.3%
54	Boston University	MA	$66,661	189	11.1%
55	SUNY College at Geneseo	NY	$66,435	14	66.5%
56	Marquette University	WI	$66,180	30	81.3%
57	Ohio State University	OH	$66,064	133	60.6%
58	San Francisco State University	CA	$65,775	49	96.4%
59	Wheaton College	IL	$65,230	16	87.4%
60	Duquesne University	PA	$65,169	16	83.6%
61	University of Delaware	DE	$64,715	34	70.6%
62	Western Kentucky University	KY	$64,710	11	93.9%
63	Hamilton College	NY	$64,585	25	13.6%
64	Florida International University	FL	$64,399	253	54.7%
65	Florida State University	FL	$63,984	276	24.2%
66	Vassar College	NY	$63,591	26	18.6%
67	Dickinson College	PA	$62,570	18	42.1%
68	University of Maine	ME	$62,555	14	96.6%
69	University of San Diego	CA	$61,509	33	52.4%
70	Central Michigan University	MI	$61,331	16	89.8%
71	University of New Hampshire	NH	$60,577	14	88.2%
72	Northern Arizona University	AZ	$60,448	18	89.6%
73	Kennesaw State University	GA	$60,031	22	69.2%
74	University of Denver	CO	$59,895	101	77.8%
75	San Diego State University	CA	$59,733	49	36.2%
76	University of San Francisco	CA	$59,387	37	61.7%
77	CUNY City College	NY	$59,039	49	60%
78	University of South Florida	FL	$58,999	64	43.2%
79	Grand Valley State University	MI	$58,802	21	83%
80	Loyola University Chicago	IL	$58,511	7	81.6%
81	University of Nevada-Reno	NV	$58,002	28	73.7%
82	Indiana University	IN	$57,806	117	78.2%
83	Lewis & Clark College	OR	$57,783	43	78.5%
84	Towson University	MD	$57,498	36	82%
85	University of Cincinnati	OH	$57,228	28	85.3%
86	Rhodes College	TN	$56,744	30	50.3%
87	Portland State University	OR	$56,436	19	90.9%
88	University of Minnesota	MN	$56,257	43	79.8%
89	University of California-Riverside	CA	$56,108	64	76.4%
90	Saint Louis University	MO	$55,964	12	75%
91	The University of Alabama	AL	$55,419	43	76.6%
92	University of South Carolina	SC	$54,781	40	60.2%
93	Old Dominion University	VA	$54,505	23	90.4%
94	Gonzaga University	WA	$53,458	11	81.7%
95	Texas State University	TX	$53,407	12	89.3%
96	California State University-Chico	CA	$52,150	10	92.7%
97	Kent State University at Kent	OH	$51,747	7	86.3%
98	University of Mary Washington	VA	$51,166	9	79.8%
99	Eastern Washington University	WA	$50,238	8	90.8%
100	Drake University	IA	$49,764	16	63.9%

Showing the top 100 of 111 colleges that report earnings. 185 more colleges award this degree but have no earnings figure, usually because the program is small.

Keep this list

Email me the International Relations rankings

The full table, plus a link to compare these colleges on admissions and cost.

I consent to receive transactional text messages (Conversational/Alerts, Appointments, and Booking Confirmations) from Dewey Smart at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy, Terms, and SMS Terms.

I agree to receive recurring automated marketing & promotional text messages from Dewey Smart at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy, Terms, and SMS Terms.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently asked questions

Which college has the highest-paid International Relations graduates?

Johns Hopkins University ($99,205), Claremont McKenna College ($96,520), Fairfield University ($94,347), Middlebury College ($92,728), Stanford University ($91,075) report the highest median earnings four years after graduation.

How much do International Relations majors make?

The median across 111 colleges is $66,180 four years after graduation. By college it runs from $41,730 to $99,205.

Which colleges have the biggest International Relations programs?

By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: George Washington University (511), American University (387), Georgetown University (283), Florida State University (276), Florida International University (253).

Does a higher-earning program mean a better program?

Not on its own. Earnings reflect where graduates live, what jobs they take, and who enrolled in the first place, as well as the teaching. The figures cover only graduates who received federal financial aid, and small programs are left out, so a college missing from this list may still have a strong department.

Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release, federal program category "International Relations and National Security Studies". Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after a bachelor's degree.