College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Far Western US Region

22 Colleges in the Far Western US Region
1,575 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.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 22 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for international relations & national security students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,575 degrees in international relations & national security to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School

Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Far Western US Region The international relations program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for International Relations & National Security rankings. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

International Relations & National Security Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in International Relations
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 Far Western US 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 Far Western US 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 Far Western US Region Schools in International Relations

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 International Relations Degrees Awarded
25.8% Growth in Graduates

Stanford University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in international relations & national security. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 89 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from Stanford University earn a boost of around $28,449 over the typical income of international relations & national security majors.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
191 International Relations Degrees Awarded
0.5% Growth in Graduates

University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in international relations & national security. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 191 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Those international relations & national security students who get their degree from University of Southern California make $4,545 more than the standard international relations grad.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Southern California

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In CA
20.0% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in international relations & national security needs to take a look at Claremont McKenna College. Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.

There were about 30 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent year we have data available.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$34,949 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of California - Davis if you want to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were about 121 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program state that they receive average early career income of $34,949.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of California - Davis

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 International Relations Degrees Awarded
12.2% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were about 123 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security degree program at University of California - San Diego earn $20,651 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

6
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 International Relations Degrees Awarded
41.5% Growth in Graduates

Oxy is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Los Angeles. This college ranks 83rd out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 53 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Oxy in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, international relations degree recipients usually make about $35,231 in the first five years of their career.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$31,254 Median Starting Salary

SFSU is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Francisco. This university ranks 30th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 64 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program make around $31,254 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from San Francisco State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$36,735 Median Starting Salary

SDSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were about 91 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program earn around $36,735 for their early career.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from San Diego State University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 International Relations Degrees Awarded
7.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #219 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCR is a great university overall.

There were approximately 92 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program report average early career earnings of $27,021.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of California - Riverside

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In WA
7.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

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

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges by State

Explore the best international relations & national security schools for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
California 330 1,313
Washington 300 64
Oregon 266 56
Nevada 192 49
Hawaii 164 18

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 Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
International Relations 1,194
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 266
International Security 115

View All International Relations Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 15,078
Economics 12,012
Political Science & Government 9,771
General Social Sciences 9,542
Anthropology 3,312
Geography & Cartography 1,818
Other Social Sciences 477
Urban Studies 453
Archeology 72
Sociology & Anthropology 56

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