2024 Best International Relations Schools
220
Colleges in the United States
12,541
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Ranked #63 in popularity,
international relations is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
College Factual looked at 220 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best International Relations Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 12,541 degrees in international relations to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great International Relations School
The international relations program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for International Relations rankings. For our Best Overall International Relations School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your International Relations Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best International Relations Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for International Relations in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the international relations degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in International Relations
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In MD
760
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Any student pursuing a degree in international relations needs to take a look at Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. This university ranks 1st out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
There were roughly 760 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins UniversityMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CT
97
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Yale University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in international relations. Located in the midsize city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.
There were about 97 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Yale UniversityMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In CA
89
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Any student who is interested in international relations needs to look into Stanford University. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were roughly 89 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Stanford UniversityDoctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
191
International Relations Degrees Awarded
It is difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 191 international relations students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of Southern CaliforniaMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In MA
150
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.
There were approximately 150 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Harvard UniversityMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In DC
562
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.
There were approximately 562 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Georgetown UniversityDoctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In MA
383
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Tufts is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Medford. This university ranks 4th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were about 383 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Tufts UniversityBachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In PA
49
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were about 49 international relations students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of PennsylvaniaDoctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In VA
212
International Relations Degrees Awarded
University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 212 international relations students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of Virginia - Main CampusLocated in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.
There were roughly 30 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Claremont McKenna CollegeBachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In RI
100
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.
There were about 100 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Brown UniversityMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In DC
852
International Relations Degrees Awarded
GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
There were roughly 852 international relations students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from George Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IL
34
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were roughly 34 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Northwestern UniversityMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
163
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were roughly 163 international relations students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of ChicagoMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In NC
Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were about 29 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Duke UniversityLocated in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.
There were roughly 30 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Carnegie Mellon UniversityRice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston. This university ranks 1st out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were approximately 25 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Rice UniversityMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In NY
154
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were about 154 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Columbia University in the City of New YorkDoctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In DC
749
International Relations Degrees Awarded
The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 3rd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
There were about 749 international relations students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from American UniversityBachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In GA
34
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
There were approximately 34 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Emory UniversityMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In CA
123
International Relations Degrees Awarded
UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 123 international relations students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from University of California - San DiegoBachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In VT
38
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the town of Middlebury, Middlebury is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 1st out of 11 colleges for overall quality in the state of Vermont.
There were roughly 38 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Middlebury in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Middlebury CollegeBachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In VA
130
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 130 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in international relations from Virginia TechLocated in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were about 8 international relations students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Washington University in St LouisMaster's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In MA
272
International Relations Degrees Awarded
Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. This university ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were roughly 272 international relations students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations from Boston University