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2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major

434 Ranked Colleges
14,306 Degrees Awarded
$37,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended International Relations Major

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 “Most Well Attended International Relations Major” 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 “Most Well Attended International Relations Major” ranking, we looked at 434 colleges that offer a degree in international relations and national security. To top this list, a school must have a successful international relations and national security program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank International Relations & National Security Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More International Relations Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended International Relations Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended International Relations Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for international relations students.

1
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Washington University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. GWU is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 948 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at George Washington University

2
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended International Relations Major. American University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 700 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full American University International Relations & National Security Report

3
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 434 schools in the Most Well Attended International Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 686 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Johns Hopkins

4
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgetown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. Georgetown is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 572 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

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 94%.

Full Georgetown University International Relations & National Security Report

5
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Out of the 434 schools in the Most Well Attended International Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Tufts University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 478 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Tufts International Relations & National Security Report

6
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #6. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 341 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Florida State International Relations & National Security Report

7

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 317 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida International University International Relations & National Security Report

8
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 286 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 UGA

9
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 278 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Boston University

10
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 259 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at George Mason University

11
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 208 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 University of Virginia International Relations & National Security Report

12
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

Naval Postgraduate School landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. Naval Postgraduate School is a small public school situated in Monterey, California. It awarded 257 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Naval Postgraduate School

13
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #13, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

14
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. NYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 182 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%. 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.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at New York University

15

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 176 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Ohio State

16
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

University of Denver came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. University of Denver is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 175 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at DU

17
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

With a ranking of #17, Syracuse University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 193 diplomas to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Syracuse

18
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 160 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech International Relations & National Security Report

18

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 156 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Columbia International Relations & National Security Report

20

University of California - Davis ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 151 students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 UC Davis

21
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #21, Liberty University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 140 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

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

22

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #22. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 124 students in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at IU Bloomington

23
Seton Hall crest
Seton Hall University
South Orange, New Jersey

Seton Hall University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking, coming in at #23. This medium-sized school is located in South Orange, New Jersey, and it awarded 120 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Seton Hall

24
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

Fordham University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended International Relations Major ranking. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 122 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Relations & National Security at Fordham University

25
Norwich crest
Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont

Norwich University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended International Relations Major list. Northfield, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Norwich University International Relations & National Security Report

Rest of the Best 52 in Most Well Attended International Relations Major

Not only did these schools make the top 52 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
28
Angelo State crest
Angelo State University
San Angelo, Texas
29
29
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
31
32
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
33
34
34
36
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
36
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
38
39
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
39
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama
41
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
41
43
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
44
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
45
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California
46
46
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
48
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
49
Excelsior College crest
Excelsior College
Albany, New York
49
VMI crest
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia
49
49
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended International Relations Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
53University of DelawareNewark, DE
54Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA
55University of MississippiUniversity, MS
56Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
57Webster UniversitySaint Louis, MO
57University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
59University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
60Georgia Institute of Technology - Main CampusAtlanta, GA
60SUNY GeneseoGeneseo, NY
62University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
62Middlebury Institute of International Studies at MontereyMonterey, CA
64United States Military AcademyWest Point, NY
64University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
64University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA

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References

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