Best International Relations and National Security Studies Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
30
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$426,593
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$59,480
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Georgetown University
Grad rate: 95.0% |
DC | +$844,648 | $92,702 | $84,696 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
American Public University System
Grad rate: 54.3% |
WV | +$755,524 | $81,412 | $16,358 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 | Institute of World Politics | DC | +$711,000 | $77,550 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
University of Arizona
Grad rate: 66.9% |
AZ | +$702,954 | $80,002 | $28,543 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
St. Mary's University
Grad rate: 57.4% |
TX | +$696,864 | $81,480 | $46,368 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
George Mason University
Grad rate: 69.9% |
VA | +$652,596 | $77,327 | $26,972 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
George Washington University
Grad rate: 85.0% |
DC | +$632,926 | $81,719 | $80,727 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Johns Hopkins University
Grad rate: 94.3% |
MD | +$629,320 | $81,596 | $81,300 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
The University of Texas at Austin
Grad rate: 87.7% |
TX | +$608,636 | $75,416 | $29,842 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Columbia University in the City of New York
Grad rate: 95.1% |
NY | +$567,456 | $78,977 | $86,042 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
University of Kentucky
Grad rate: 69.3% |
KY | +$536,578 | $72,058 | $32,291 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 | Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey | CA | +$525,440 | $68,272 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Tufts University
Grad rate: 93.5% |
MA | +$489,820 | $74,951 | $84,600 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
University of California-San Diego
Grad rate: 87.7% |
CA | +$488,510 | $70,058 | $36,325 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
American University
Grad rate: 79.0% |
DC | +$483,742 | $73,342 | $71,549 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Texas A&M University-College Station
Grad rate: 83.7% |
TX | +$404,750 | $65,446 | $32,085 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Syracuse University
Grad rate: 82.4% |
NY | +$369,508 | $68,515 | $80,396 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Norwich University
Grad rate: 61.1% |
VT | +$362,144 | $66,617 | $65,098 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Middlebury College
Grad rate: 93.0% |
VT | +$360,920 | $68,272 | $82,260 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
University of Chicago
Grad rate: 95.2% |
IL | +$305,868 | $65,979 | $86,856 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Grad rate: 84.0% |
PA | +$234,506 | $57,396 | $36,707 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Boston University
Grad rate: 89.5% |
MA | +$227,292 | $61,634 | $82,694 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
University of Denver
Grad rate: 77.7% |
CO | +$216,020 | $60,303 | $75,020 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
New York University
Grad rate: 87.8% |
NY | +$194,298 | $59,627 | $79,121 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
Florida State University
Grad rate: 83.9% |
FL | +$165,734 | $52,655 | $23,683 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
DePaul University
Grad rate: 69.7% |
IL | +$160,726 | $55,983 | $59,467 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 27 | SIT Graduate Institute | VT | +$140,760 | $49,038 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
Webster University
Grad rate: 60.0% |
MO | +$120,724 | $52,958 | $49,218 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 29 |
Seton Hall University
Grad rate: 71.6% |
NJ | +$104,388 | $53,719 | $64,996 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 30 |
The New School
Grad rate: 70.2% |
NY | +$104,146 | $55,483 | $82,757 | N/A | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best International Relations and National Security Studies Degrees by State
Browse International Relations and National Security Studies programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.