2023 Best International Relations & Security Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best International Relations & National Security Master's Degree 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 Master's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 90 schools in the United States to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best International Relations & National Security Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for international relations majors pursuing a master's degree.
Top 15% Best International Relations & National Security Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Rice University to be the best school for international relations and national security students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the United States. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston.
Full International Relations & National Security at Rice University Report
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Duke University is a great place for international relations and national security students working on their master’s degree. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Duke University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best International Relations & Security Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Stanford University
Out of the 90 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Johns Hopkins University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best International Relations & Security Master’s Degree Schools list. Yale is a large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of New Haven.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Yale University
Georgetown University ranked #6 on this year’s Best International Relations & Security Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for international relations and national security students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
With a ranking of #8, Harvard University did quite well on this year’s best schools for international relations and national security students working on their master’s degree. Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge.
Read full report on International Relations & National Security at Harvard University
Tufts University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for international relations and national security students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Institute of World Politics ranked #10 on this year’s Best International Relations & Security Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Washington, Institute of World Politics is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Full International Relations & National Security at Institute of World Politics Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree international relations and national security programs. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public school with a fairly large student population.
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree international relations and national security programs. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a very large student population.
University of California - San Diego ranked #13 on this year’s Best International Relations & Security Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for International Relations & Security students that almost earned our Best International Relations & Security Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Columbia University in the City of New York | New York, NY |
| 15 | Washington University in St Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
| 16 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| 17 | Webster University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 18 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
International Relations & National Security by Region
View the Best International Relations & Security Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| 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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