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2023 Best Value Colleges for International Relations & National Security (With Aid)

223 Ranked Colleges
14,306 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

International Relations & National Security is the 67th most popular major in the country with 14,306 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, international relations and national security graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $41,288 and had an average of $21,455 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 223 colleges that offer a degree in international relations and national security. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international relations and national security programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the international relations and national security program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank International Relations & National Security Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for International Relations & National Security (With Aid)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 66 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international relations students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,894 for international relations students with aid per year to attend Stanford University.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Stanford University

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 88 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Yale also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $15,296 for international relations students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Yale

3
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The City College of New York
New York, New York

Out of the 223 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The City College of New York landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 62 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,805 for international relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CCNY International Relations & National Security Report

4
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 208 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,006 for International Relations students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia International Relations & National Security Report

5
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 149 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international relations students with aid list, Harvard has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,872 for international relations students with aid per year to attend Harvard.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Harvard University

6

Florida International University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 317 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,298 for International Relations students with aid per year to attend FIU.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at FIU

7
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 341 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,946 for International Relations students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State University International Relations & National Security Report

8
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 124 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also claimed a top spot on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for international relations students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington International Relations & National Security Report

9

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for international relations students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus International Relations & National Security Report

10

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 13 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,017 for International Relations students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

11

John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice is $2,699 for International Relations students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

12
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #12, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 286 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA also claimed a top spot on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $14,257 for international relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Georgia International Relations & National Security Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 151 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Davis also did well on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for International Relations students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at University of California - Davis

14
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,264 for International Relations students with aid per year to attend Baruch.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Baruch

15
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #15, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 160 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. It costs about $21,301 for international relations students with aid per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Virginia Tech

16

With a ranking of #16, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 108 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UCSD also did well on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for International Relations students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at UCSD

17

The University of West Florida came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UWF is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 22 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $7,089 for international relations students with aid.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at The University of West Florida

18
VMI crest
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia

Virginia Military Institute landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Military Institute is $22,025 for International Relations students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full VMI International Relations & National Security Report

19
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 72 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary also claimed a top spot on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $19,593 for International Relations students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at William & Mary

20

University of California - Riverside ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 85 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,822 for International Relations students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at University of California - Riverside

21
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Claremont McKenna not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna is $21,993 for International Relations students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Claremont McKenna

22
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 99 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,845 for international relations students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at San Diego State University

23
Angelo State crest
Angelo State University
San Angelo, Texas

With a ranking of #23, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Angelo State University is a fairly large public school situated in San Angelo, Texas. It awarded 103 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Angelo State University is $13,184 for international relations students with aid.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Angelo State University

24
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 686 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. It costs about $23,428 for international relations students with aid per year to attend Johns Hopkins.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Johns Hopkins University International Relations & National Security Report

25
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 16 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $16,076 for International Relations students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Rice University

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
27
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California
28
29
30
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Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
31
32
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University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, Georgia
33
34
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University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

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