2025 Best International Relations & National Security Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
International Relations & National Security is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #43 most popular master's degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
College Factual reviewed 15 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of international relations & national security. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,818 master's degrees in international relations & national security during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School for Your Master's Degree
Your choice of international relations & national security for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A Great Overall School
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Early-Career Earnings
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to international relations & national security students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other international relations & national security students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for international relations & national security to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized international relations & national security related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for international relations & national security students working on their master's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best International Relations & National Security Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study International Relations & National Security in the Middle Atlantic Region
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in international relations & national security.
10 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools for a Master's in International Relations
Johns Hopkins University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Master's recipients from the international relations & national security degree program at Johns Hopkins University get $7,733 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from Johns Hopkins University
Any student who is interested in a master's degree in international relations & national security has to take a look at Georgetown University. Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington.
Master's recipients from the international relations & national security major at Georgetown University make $19,382 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from Georgetown University
George Washington University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a master's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's students who receive their degree from the international relations program make about $70,707 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from George Washington University
American University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's students who receive their degree from the international relations program earn an average of $69,872 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from American University
Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.
Those international relations & national security students who get their master's degree from Columbia University in the City of New York receive $11,631 more than the standard international relations grad.
More information about a master’s in international relations & national security from Columbia University in the City of New York
