2023 Best International Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
22
Ranked Colleges
834
Degrees Awarded
$56,816
Avg Salary
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
International Studies is the 100th most popular major in the country with 7,368 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,198 and had an average of $21,594 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international studies programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the international studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank International Studies Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree vets studying international studies.
Top 22 Best International Studies Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 masters’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 46,287 students enrolled at USC, 1,311 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,487. During this same period, 388 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. USC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 11 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, UNC Chapel Hill supports 30,092 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UNC Chapel Hill]](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #3 spot on the list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 21 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying international studies list, KU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 26,744 students enrolled at KU, 70 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,917. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 121 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Oklahoma also took the #5 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 27,772 students enrolled at University of Oklahoma, 12 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,720. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full University of Oklahoma Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 69 degrees to qualified masters’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 324 of the 26,552 students enrolled at University of Pennsylvania were GI Bill® students, of which 131 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,383. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read More…
University of Utah came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking. University of Utah is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 14 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
U of U also took the #10 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 33,081 students enrolled at U of U, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. U of U offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Utah Veteran Student Life Report
University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #7. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s international studies degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Notre Dame supports 12,809 students, and 11 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 20 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,670. To help with additional expenses, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Notre Dame Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #8, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified masters’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Arizona supports 45,601 students, and 2,131 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,478 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,880. To help with additional expenses, 31 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
George Mason University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 masters’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 2,334 of the 38,541 students enrolled at GMU were GI Bill® students, of which 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,710. On top of their other funding sources, 42 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at GMU]](/colleges/george-mason-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Denver ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 19 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
DU also took the #11 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Denver supports 13,856 students, and 571 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 373 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,359. To help with additional expenses, 155 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 56 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
FIU also made our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13.Our most recent data shows that 1,079 of the 58,836 students enrolled at FIU were GI Bill® students, of which 606 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,771. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Florida International University]](/colleges/florida-international-university/student-life/veterans/)
American Public University System landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s international studies degrees to 113 students in 2020-2021.
American Military University also made our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8.Of the 50,047 students enrolled at American Military University, 18,040 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 15,422 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,793. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full American Public University System Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Of the 40,953 students enrolled at University of North Texas, 2,038 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,138 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,999. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of North Texas does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read More…
Texas State University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. Texas State is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 masters’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying international studies list, Texas State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State University, 2,559 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,635. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
University of Wyoming ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. University of Wyoming is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying international studies list, UW has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 11,829 students enrolled at University of Wyoming, 473 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 255 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,738. To help with additional expenses, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UW]](/colleges/university-of-wyoming/student-life/veterans/)
University of Oregon came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking. University of Oregon is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 5 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UO, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 21,752 students enrolled at UO, 582 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 314 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,688. To help with additional expenses, 25 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UO offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #17. Missouri State is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 7 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 23,505 students enrolled at Missouri State University - Springfield were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,830. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Missouri State University - Springfield]](/colleges/missouri-state-university-springfield/student-life/veterans/)
University of Maine landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Orono, Maine, and it awarded 16 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UMaine also took the #21 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Maine supports 11,741 students, and 21 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 17 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,419. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #19, Dallas Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 10 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
DBU also took the #20 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Dallas Baptist University supports 4,247 students, and 200 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 150 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,924. On top of their other funding sources, 39 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Dallas Baptist University]](/colleges/dallas-baptist-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of San Francisco ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
USFCA also took the #19 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 10,068 students enrolled at USFCA, 6 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,232. During this same period, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Concordia University, Irvine ranked #21 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s list. Concordia University, Irvine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 113 of the 4,071 students enrolled at Concordia University, Irvine were GI Bill® students, of which 82 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,273. In addition to receiving other benefits, 12 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Northwest University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for International Studies for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Kirkland, Washington, and it awarded 10 masters’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest University also took the #22 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 1,184 students enrolled at Northwest University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Northwest University]](/colleges/northwest-university/student-life/veterans/)
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Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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