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2025 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois

5 Colleges in Illinois
373 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$47,717 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in international relations & national security is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #67 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual reviewed 5 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of international relations & national security. Combined, these schools handed out 373 degrees in international relations & national security to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School

Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Illinois Your choice of international relations & national security school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall International Relations & National Security School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

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 Schools in Illinois. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for International Relations & National Security in Illinois

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the international relations degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Illinois Schools in International Relations

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
163 International Relations Degrees Awarded
0.6% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in international relations & national security has to take a look at University of Chicago. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 163 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from University of Chicago get an earnings boost of about $18,465 over the average earnings of international relations & national security majors.

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

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$58,326 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 34 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security program at Northwestern University get $10,609 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

3
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 International Relations Degrees Awarded
15.2% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat DePaul University if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. This university ranks 7th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 46 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, international relations degree recipients typically make around $41,944 in the first five years of their career.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$40,084 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in international relations & national security has to look into Wheaton College Illinois. Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 13th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 24 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois 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 wages of $40,084.

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

5
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In IL

Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Lake Forest. This college ranks 33rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 10 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Lake Forest in the most recent year we have data available.

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

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 212
Ohio 314 444
Indiana 294 201
Wisconsin 273 76

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 362
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 11

View All International Relations Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 2,222
Political Science & Government 1,528
Sociology 798
Anthropology 300
General Social Sciences 254
Geography & Cartography 159
Sociology & Anthropology 51
Other Social Sciences 45
Urban Studies 18
Archeology 1

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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