If you plan on getting your master's degree in international relations & national security, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #43 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best International Relations & National Security Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 97 master's degrees in international relations & national security to qualified students.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Major Focus - How much a school focuses on international relations & national security students vs. other majors.
Major Demand - The number of international relations & national security 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 much debt international relations & national security students go into to obtain their master's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized international relations & national security related body.
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.
More Ways to Rank International Relations & National Security Schools
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 & National Security Master's Degree Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study International Relations & National Security in Illinois
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in international relations & national security.
Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in International Relations
It is hard to beat University of Chicago if you wish to pursue a master's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
International Relations & National Security master's degree recipients from University of Chicago receive an earnings boost of around $9,378 above the average earnings of international relations & national security majors.
DePaul University is a good option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduating, international relations master's recipients generally earn about $47,427 at the beginning of their careers.
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).
