If you plan on getting your master's degree in international studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #125 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best International Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 87 master's degrees in international studies to qualified students.
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One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to international studies students as compared to other majors.
Major Demand - The number of international studies students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
Student Debt - How easy is it for international studies to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized international studies related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for international studies students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best International Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Featured International Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in international studies. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Those international studies students who get their master's degree from University of Southern California make $13,497 more than the average international studies student.
Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in international studies. Located in the suburb of Kirkland, Northwest University CAPS is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Those international studies students who get their master's degree from Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies earn $2,240 more than the typical international studies graduate.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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).
