2025 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Virginia
9Colleges in Virginia
1,125International Relations Degrees Awarded
$47,717Avg 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.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 9 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best International Relations & National Security Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,125 degrees in international relations & national security to qualified students.
Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School
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
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 Virginia.
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.
Best Schools for International Relations & National Security in Virginia
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.
University of Virginia - Main Campus is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in international relations & national security. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.
There were approximately 212 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, international relations degree recipients generally earn about $46,870 in their early careers.
Virginia Tech is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in international relations & national security. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.
There were roughly 132 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, international relations degree recipients typically earn an average of $44,638 in the first five years of their career.
George Mason University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.
There were about 253 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security major at George Mason University earn $7,333 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
William & Mary is a great choice for students interested in a degree in international relations & national security. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.
There were about 76 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program make around $47,270 for their early career.
VMI is a small public school located in the distant town of Lexington. This school ranks 23rd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were about 45 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at VMI in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program earn about $44,429 in their early career salary.
Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were about 82 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, international relations degree recipients usually earn about $44,667 in the first five years of their career.
Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg. This university ranks 11th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were about 183 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program make about $43,567 in their early career salary.
Old Dominion is a fairly large public university located in the city of Norfolk. This university ranks 16th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were about 36 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program make about $33,581 for their early career.
Hampden - Sydney is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the rural area of Hampden-Sydney. This college ranks 24th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were roughly 14 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Hampden - Sydney in the most recent data year.
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).
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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.
