2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
223
Ranked Colleges
14,306
Degrees Awarded
$5,100
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 14,306 people earned their degree in international relations and national security, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States. 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.
This year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 223 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international relations and national security. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great international relations and national security programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the international relations and national security program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for International Relations & National Security (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #10 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $371 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Duke University
Out of the 223 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,233 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
Full Stanford International Relations & National Security Report
Out of the 223 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #3 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins University is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 686 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Johns Hopkins University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 88 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.
Yale also took the #4 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $961 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Yale
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 39 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $1,468 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Brown
Harvard University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 149 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,564 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Harvard
Northwestern University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #14 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. It costs about $245 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Northwestern International Relations & National Security Report
University of Pennsylvania came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 44 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full University of Pennsylvania International Relations & National Security Report
Tufts University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 478 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Tufts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $8,122 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Tufts University
University of Chicago landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 162 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. It costs about $2,500 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 100%.
Full University of Chicago International Relations & National Security Report
Georgetown University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Georgetown is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 572 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgetown has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown is $3,077 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Georgetown University
Rice University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $4,443 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Rice University
With a ranking of #13, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.
Claremont McKenna also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $5,387 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Claremont McKenna College.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Claremont McKenna College International Relations & National Security Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 208 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at University of Virginia - Main Campus
William & Mary landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 72 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, William & Mary is in the top 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 William & Mary is $5,972 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at William & Mary
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 124 ’s 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 $5,752 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington International Relations & National Security Report
Lafayette College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lafayette is a small school located in Easton, Pennsylvania that handed out 41 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lafayette, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $11,728 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Lafayette International Relations & National Security Report
Florida State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 341 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Florida State also did well 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 estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $4,950 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Florida State International Relations & National Security Report
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 156 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,873 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Columbia University in the City of New York
University of Georgia landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 286 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UGA 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 University of Georgia is $8,303 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at University of Georgia
Pomona College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Pomona College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 9 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Pomona is also in the top of our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $8,629 for international relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pomona College.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Pomona
Hamilton College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Clinton, New York, and it awarded 29 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Hamilton 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. It costs about $8,810 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hamilton College.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, 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 92%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Hamilton College
With a ranking of #23, Colgate University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 37 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate is $10,762 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Colgate University
Florida International University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 317 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend FIU is $3,196 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 FIU
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 75 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $4,176 for International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at USF Tampa
