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2025 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southeast Region

37 Colleges in the Southeast Region
3,076 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$47,717 Avg Early-Career Salary
International Relations & National Security is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #67 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual reviewed 37 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of international relations & national security. Combined, these schools handed out 3,076 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 the Southeast Region Your choice of international relations & national security school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for international relations & national security schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

Bachelor's Degrees in International Relations
Master's Degrees in International Relations
Doctor's Degrees in International Relations

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for International Relations & National Security in the Southeast Region

The schools below may not offer all types of international relations degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in International Relations

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
212 International Relations Degrees Awarded
1.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in international relations & national security needs to take a look at University of Virginia - Main Campus. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 212 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program state that they receive average early career income of $46,870.

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

2
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$71,278 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Duke University if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 29 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Those international relations & national security students who get their degree from Duke University receive $23,561 more than the average international relations student.

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

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
132 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$44,638 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Virginia Tech if you want to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. Virginia Tech is a very 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 about 132 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program state that they receive average early career wages of $44,638.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Virginia Tech

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
246 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$39,275 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Georgia if you wish to pursue a degree in international relations & national security. UGA is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 246 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UGA 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 $39,275.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
253 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$55,050 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very 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. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from George Mason University earn a boost of around $7,333 over the average income of international relations & national security majors.

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

6
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
331 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$33,140 Median Starting Salary

Florida State is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Tallahassee. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 331 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, international relations degree recipients generally make an average of $33,140 at the beginning of their careers.

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

7
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 International Relations Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were approximately 76 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, international relations degree recipients usually earn an average of $47,270 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in international relations & national security from William & Mary

8
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 International Relations Degrees Awarded
20.6% Growth in Graduates

Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta. A Best Colleges rank of #31 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were about 34 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program make around $45,022 for their early career.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 International Relations Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #95 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Tulane is a great university overall.

There were about 64 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Tulane in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program earn around $47,956 in their early career salary.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
317 International Relations Degrees Awarded
$33,417 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Miami, FIU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 317 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at FIU in the most recent data year. After graduation, international relations degree recipients usually earn an average of $33,417 in the first five years of their career.

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

Best International Relations & National Security Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 505
Florida 282 879
North Carolina 279 91
Virginia 274 1,114
Tennessee 269 108
South Carolina 248 61
Kentucky 244 68
Louisiana 242 58
Mississippi 234 58
Arkansas 234 48
Alabama 233 135
West Virginia 207 31

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 2,813
International Security 142
Other International Relations & National Security Studies 121

View All International Relations Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to International Relations

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 11,126
Economics 6,259
Sociology 5,685
General Social Sciences 2,489
Anthropology 2,059
Geography & Cartography 1,437
Urban Studies 191
Other Social Sciences 173
Sociology & Anthropology 115
Archeology 36

View All International Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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