2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
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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 a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
International Relations & National Security is the 65th most popular major in the country with 14,762 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, international relations and national security graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $38,051 and had an average of $28,099 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 482 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,167 and $26,620 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 373 international relations and national security graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 24 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.
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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bellevue University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.
Bellevue University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue University is $15,616 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Bellevue University
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UMN Duluth
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Cloud State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at St. Cloud State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Minnesota State Mankato
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Lindenwood University landed the #5 spot on the list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 7 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
Lindenwood University also took the #18 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $17,491 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Lindenwood University
With a ranking of #6, Missouri Southern State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
Missouri Southern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $9,625 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students per year to attend Missouri Southern.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at Missouri Southern State University
Webster University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. Webster University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 5 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Webster, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Webster University is $22,768 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Webster University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities International Relations & National Security Report
University of Iowa came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Iowa International Relations & National Security Report
Loras College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 10 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
Loras did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,676 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students per year to attend Loras College.
The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Loras College
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 7 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
UMSL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
Full University of Missouri - St Louis International Relations & National Security Report
With a ranking of #12, William Jewell College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Liberty, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.
William Jewell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $27,316 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students per year to attend William Jewell College.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full William Jewell College International Relations & National Security Report
St Catherine University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international relations students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Kate’s, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St Catherine University is $19,078 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at St. Kate’s
Bethel University Minnesota came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international relations degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Bethel University Minnesota not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $25,191 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Bethel University Minnesota International Relations & National Security Report
Augsburg University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augsburg, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augsburg is $24,653 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
Full Augsburg International Relations & National Security Report
Simpson College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Indianola, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Simpson College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,151 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students per year to attend Simpson College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Simpson College
Creighton University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Creighton University is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Creighton, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton is $31,400 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Creighton University
Drake University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. Drake is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students list, Drake has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Drake is $29,432 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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 more about International Relations & National Security at Drake University
Wartburg College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Waverly, Iowa, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
Wartburg also took the #6 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wartburg College is $21,787 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Wartburg International Relations & National Security Report
University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. University of St Thomas Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s international relations degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UST MN, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UST MN is $29,155 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 University of St Thomas Minnesota
Cornell College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Cornell College is a small school located in Mount Vernon, Iowa that handed out 3 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
Cornell College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell College is $26,901 for plains states region bachelor’s degree international relations students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Cornell College
Saint Louis University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SLU is $28,188 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at SLU
Washington University in St Louis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 1 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $26,869 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about International Relations & National Security at WUSTL
Carleton College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Carleton is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 48 bachelors’s international relations degrees in 2019-2020.
Carleton also made our “Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Carleton is $31,133 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree International Relations students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Carleton
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Best International Relations & National Security Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
International Relations & National Security students in the Plains States Region
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International Relations & National Security students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online International Relations & National Security Schools
International Relations & National Security students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
International Relations & National Security students with family income less than $30k in the Plains States Region
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International Relations & National Security students with family income $48-$75k in the Plains States Region
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International Relations & National Security students with family income exceeding $110k in the Plains States Region
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International Relations & National Security students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security in the Plains States Region
International Relations & National Security students in the Plains States Region
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International Relations & National Security students getting aid in the Plains States Region
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International Relations & National Security students with family income $30-$48k in the Plains States Region
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International Relations & National Security students with family income $75-$110k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security in the Plains States Region
International Relations & National Security students in the Plains States Region
Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to RepubFan12.
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