2023 Best International Relations & Security Schools
Finding the Best International Relations & National Security School for You
In 2020-2021, 5,010 people earned a degree or certificate in international relations and national security, making the major the #48 most popular in the United States.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 104 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best International Relations & National Security Schools in the United States
Check out the international relations programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best International Relations & National Security Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Rice University the best school in the United States for international relations and national security students. Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Houston.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Rice University
Out of the 104 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
Full International Relations & National Security at Duke University Report
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Stanford University is a great place for international relations and national security students. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Harvard University is a great place for international relations and national security students. Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge.
Full International Relations & National Security at Harvard University Report
The excellent programs at Johns Hopkins University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best international relations and national security schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Johns Hopkins University
Yale University ranked #6 on this year’s Best International Relations & Security Schools list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Haven.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Yale University
Georgetown University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best international relations and national security programs. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Full International Relations & National Security at Georgetown University Report
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for international relations and national security students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Tufts University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Full International Relations & National Security at Tufts University Report
Institute of World Politics ranked #10 on this year’s Best International Relations & Security Schools list. Located in the city of Washington, Institute of World Politics is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Institute of World Politics
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best international relations and national security programs. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a very large student population.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best International Relations & Security Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public college with a fairly large student population.
University of Southern California landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best international relations and national security programs. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Full International Relations & National Security at University of Southern California Report
University of California - San Diego landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best international relations and national security programs. Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full International Relations & National Security at University of California - San Diego Report
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #15 on this year’s Best International Relations & Security Schools list. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best International Relations & Security Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Washington University in St Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
| 17 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| 18 | Webster University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 19 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 20 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
International Relations & National Security by Region
View the Best International Relations & Security Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More International Relations & National Security Rankings
Rankings in Majors Related to International Relations
One of 12 majors within the area of study, international relations and national security has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to International Relations
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 6,173 |
| Political Science & Government | 2,664 |
| Geography & Cartography | 2,315 |
| Sociology | 1,907 |
| Anthropology | 1,446 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to RepubFan12.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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