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2025 Best International Relations & National Security Master's Degree Schools in California

6 Colleges in California
438 Master's Degrees
$67,146 Avg Early-Career Salary
a master's degree in international relations & national security is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #43 out of 343 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual reviewed 6 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of international relations & national security. Combined, these schools handed out 438 master's degrees in international relations & national security to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School for Your Master's Degree

Best International Relations & National Security Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of international relations & national security for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for international relations & national security students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More International Relations Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The international relations school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best International Relations & National Security Master's Degree Schools in California.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study International Relations & National Security in California

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for international relations & national security students seeking a a master's degree.

Top California Schools for a Master's in International Relations

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
22 Annual Graduates

Stanford University is a great choice for students interested in a master's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from Stanford University

2

It's hard to beat University of California - San Diego if you wish to pursue a master's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program make about $68,368 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from University of California - San Diego

3
14 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat San Francisco State University if you want to pursue a master's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from San Francisco State University

4

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in international relations & national security needs to look into San Diego State University. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population.

After graduation, international relations master's recipients usually earn around $63,873 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from San Diego State University

5
22 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of San Diego, USD is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from University of San Diego

6
15 Annual Graduates

CSUSB is a large public university located in the midsize city of San Bernardino.More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from California State University - San Bernardino

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best International Relations & National Security Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 183 13
Hawaii 85 17

View All Rankings >

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, International Relations & National Security has other similar majors worth exploring.

International Relations Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
International Relations 248
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 96
International Security 94

Majors Similar to International Relations

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 574
Geography & Cartography 162
Sociology 152
Political Science & Government 117
Anthropology 98
Urban Studies 45
General Social Sciences 41
Demography & Population Studies 29
Other Social Sciences 20
Archeology 6

Notes and References

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