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2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

217 Ranked Colleges
13,117 Degrees Awarded
$5,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

International Relations is the 63rd most popular major in the country with 13,117 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 217 colleges that offered a degree in international relations. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent international relations programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the international relations program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank International Relations Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for International Relations (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 217 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke also made our “Best International Relations Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $-927 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Duke. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Duke International Relations Report

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our international relations students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,581 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at Stanford University

3
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Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 217 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 88 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $3,083 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on International Relations at Yale

4
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 135 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $1,396 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Harvard University International Relations Report

5
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 686 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best International Relations Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $4,859 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national 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 97%.

Read full report on International Relations at Johns Hopkins

6
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University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 162 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best International Relations Schools” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $4,777 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about International Relations at University of Chicago

7
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Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #14 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $917 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations at Northwestern

8
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 44 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $1,938 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 95%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full UPenn International Relations Report

9
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Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 478 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Tufts also made our “Best International Relations Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $7,987 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at Tufts University

10
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #10, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 24 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international relations students whose families make $30-$48k list, Claremont McKenna has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,693 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Claremont McKenna.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 International Relations at Claremont McKenna College

11

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 156 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It costs about $4,699 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on International Relations at Columbia University in the City of New York

12
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #12, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Brown University is a fairly large school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 39 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown also made our “Best International Relations Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $2,842 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on International Relations at Brown

13
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 572 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $9,871 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 about International Relations at Georgetown University

14
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William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, William & Mary is in the top on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It costs about $7,507 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William & Mary.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full William & Mary International Relations Report

15
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 5 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $2,446 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Relations at Washington University in St Louis

16
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Rice also made our “Best International Relations Schools” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Rice University is $1,340 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Rice University International Relations Report

17
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wellesley is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,021 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wellesley College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 93%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Wellesley College International Relations Report

18
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 113 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, IU Bloomington is in the top on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $7,061 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Relations at IU Bloomington

19
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vassar College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Poughkeepsie, New York. It awarded 12 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Vassar also did well on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Vassar College is $13,193 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations at Vassar

20
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 208 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $10,063 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full University of Virginia International Relations Report

21
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Colgate University is a small school located in Hamilton, New York that handed out 37 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international relations students whose families make $30-$48k list, Colgate has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate is $7,197 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 94%.

Read full report on International Relations at Colgate

22
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 341 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $7,349 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 95%.

Read full report on International Relations at Florida State

23
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #23, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international relations students whose families make $30-$48k list, Emory has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,976 for International Relations students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Emory University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about International Relations at Emory

24
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

Carleton excels when it comes to international relations quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carleton is $13,410 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about International Relations at Carleton

25
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Pomona also claimed a top spot on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best International Relations Schools” list. It costs about $6,239 for international relations students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pomona.

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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about International Relations at Pomona

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
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The City College of New York
New York, New York
29
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Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia
30
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
31
32
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania
33

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