2025 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Great Lakes Region
19
Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,159
International Relations Degrees Awarded
$47,717
Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in
international relations & national security is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #67 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 19 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,159 degrees in international relations & national security annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great International Relations & National Security School
Your choice of international relations & national security school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall International Relations & National Security School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
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
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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
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.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for International Relations & National Security in the Great Lakes Region
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the international relations degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in International Relations
University of Chicago is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in international relations & national security. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were roughly 163 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. International Relations & National Security degree recipients from University of Chicago receive an earnings boost of approximately $18,465 over the average income of international relations & national security graduates.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Chicago
Northwestern University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were about 34 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the international relations & national security major at Northwestern University make $10,609 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Northwestern University
Michigan State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in international relations & national security. Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 87 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the international relations program report average early career earnings of $38,810.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Michigan State University
Ohio State University - Main Campus is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in international relations & national security. Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 144 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program earn an average of $38,584 for their early career.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.
There were roughly 124 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program make about $37,139 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Indiana University - Bloomington
Marquette is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Milwaukee. A Best Colleges rank of #114 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Marquette is a great university overall.
There were roughly 26 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Marquette in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the international relations program make an average of $43,290 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Marquette University
Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #134 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.
There were approximately 44 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. After graduation, international relations degree recipients typically earn an average of $38,766 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Miami University - Oxford
DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were approximately 46 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, international relations degree recipients generally make an average of $41,944 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from DePaul University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In WI
UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.
There were roughly 11 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 11 international relations & national security students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the international relations program earn about $35,802 for their early career.
More information about a degree in international relations & national security from Central Michigan University
