College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the New England Region

18 Colleges in the New England Region
1,639 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$47,717 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in international relations & national security, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #67 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.

College Factual reviewed 18 schools in the New England Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of international relations & national security. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,639 degrees in international relations & national security annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School

Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the New England Region Your choice of international relations & national security school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall International Relations & National Security School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your International Relations & National Security Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in International Relations
Master's Degrees in International Relations
Doctor's Degrees in International Relations

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the New England Region list to help you make the college decision. 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 & National Security in the New England Region

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.

10 Top New England Region Schools in International Relations

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MA
171 International Relations Degrees Awarded

It is hard to beat Harvard University if you want to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were about 171 international relations & national security 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 & national security from Harvard University

2
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 International Relations Degrees Awarded
61.0% Growth in Graduates

Brown University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in international relations & national security. Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 100 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. After graduation, international relations degree recipients typically earn around $46,284 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Brown University

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CT
97 International Relations Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in international relations & national security has to check out Yale University. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were about 97 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Yale University

4
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
383 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$67,388 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in international relations & national security has to check out Tufts University. Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #39 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Tufts is a great university overall.

There were approximately 383 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent data year. Those international relations & national security students who get their degree from Tufts University earn $19,671 more than the standard international relations graduate.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Tufts University

5
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
279 International Relations Degrees Awarded
0.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 279 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program report average early career wages of $46,406.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Boston University

6
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 International Relations Degrees Awarded
22.4% Growth in Graduates

Middlebury is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Middlebury. A Best Colleges rank of #93 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Middlebury is a great college overall.

There were approximately 49 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Middlebury in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security degree program at Middlebury College make $21,314 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Middlebury College

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
80 International Relations Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 80 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent data year. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from Northeastern University earn a boost of around $12,594 above the average income of international relations & national security graduates.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Northeastern University

8
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In MA

Wellesley is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Wellesley. A Best Colleges rank of #94 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Wellesley is a great college overall.

There were about 14 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Wellesley in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Wellesley College

9
Conn College crest
Connecticut College
New London, CT

Conn College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of New London. This college ranks 6th out of 18 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were approximately 26 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Conn College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, international relations degree recipients usually earn about $45,543 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Connecticut College

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$34,036 Median Starting Salary

Located in the fringe town of Durham, UNH is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #151 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNH is a great university overall.

There were roughly 21 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UNH in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program earn about $34,036 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of New Hampshire - Main Campus

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges by State

Explore the best international relations & national security schools for a specific state in the New England Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Massachusetts 301 1,055
Connecticut 241 145
New Hampshire 210 78
Maine 202 19
Rhode Island 200 70
Vermont 194 165

View All Rankings >

International Relations & National Security is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

International Relations Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
International Relations 1,486
International Security 107
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 46

View All International Relations Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 5,687
Political Science & Government 3,983
Sociology 1,835
Anthropology 726
General Social Sciences 512
Geography & Cartography 373
Other Social Sciences 303
Urban Studies 129
Sociology & Anthropology 51
Archeology 45

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options