Top International Relations Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Midwest
This page ranks the 27 International Relations and National Security programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing. Michigan State University ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $74,709 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $74,709 to $20,140, with a median of $55,964. For 9 of the 27 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 16 public and 11 private nonprofit institutions. Oakland University reports the lowest average net price on the page, at $9,120. University of Chicago ranks 38th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $74,709 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University reports median earnings of $74,709 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $7,068 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 2 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $74,477 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University ranks 2nd on this list and shows a median federal debt of $19,234 among International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | DePaul University · Chicago, IL | $68,180 | $30,902 | $27,359 | 75.9% |
| DePaul University admits 76% of applicants and posts median earnings of $68,180 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $67,301 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Miami University-Oxford sits 4th on this page with a cohort of 44 graduates in the earnings cohort and an average net price of $28,384. | |||||
| 5 | Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI | $66,180 | $31,487 | $22,269 | 81.3% |
| Marquette University reports median earnings of $66,180 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, and its median federal debt among program completers who borrowed is $20,750. | |||||
| 6 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $66,064 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $4,885 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | Wheaton College · Wheaton, IL | $65,230 | $26,975 | $20,001 | 87.4% |
| Wheaton College reports median earnings of $65,230 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 87%. | |||||
| 8 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $61,331 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University ranks 8th on this list and carries a median federal debt of $26,750 among International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 9 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $58,802 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
| Grand Valley State University posts median earnings of $58,802 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,317. | |||||
| 10 | Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, IL | $58,511 | $36,079 | $28,992 | 81.6% |
| Loyola University Chicago admits 82% of applicants and reports a median federal debt of $21,500 among International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $57,806 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington shows an average net price of $6,324 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 96th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 12 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $57,228 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus reports median earnings of $57,228 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 42 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 13 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $56,257 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| Median earnings of $56,257 for International Relations and National Security graduates at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities four years after completing sit above the list median of $55,964. | |||||
| 14 | Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO | $55,964 | $24,398 | $22,501 | 75.0% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Saint Louis University left with a median of $25,000 in federal loans, while its International Relations and National Security graduates earned $55,964 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Drake University · Des Moines, IA | $49,764 | $29,127 | $25,824 | 63.9% |
| Drake University admits 64% of applicants, and its International Relations and National Security graduates earned a median of $49,764 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Indiana University-Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $49,069 | $11,668 | $5,701 | 76.4% |
| Median federal debt of $22,500 among International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed at Indiana University-Indianapolis coincides with median earnings of $49,069 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $48,463 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
| Saint Cloud State University reports median earnings of $48,463 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, with 17 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 18 | Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH | $45,045 | $14,764 | $11,958 | 91.3% |
| Median federal debt of $22,960 among International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed at Cleveland State University accompanies median earnings of $45,045 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN | $39,369 | $19,139 | $12,339 | 88.4% |
| An average net price of $12,339 for families earning under $30,000 at Minnesota State University-Mankato accompanies median earnings of $39,369 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of Chicago · Chicago, IL | $36,674 | $14,860 | -$1,264* | 4.5% |
| University of Chicago ranks 38th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its International Relations and National Security graduates earned $36,674 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $35,274 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
| With 30 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Iowa reports median earnings of $35,274 four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Denison University · Granville, OH | $35,060 | $40,007 | $16,656 | 17.4% |
| An admission rate of 17% at Denison University coincides with median earnings of $35,060 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $32,925 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth has an average net price of $7,256 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $32,925 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $28,019 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
| Median earnings of $28,019 for International Relations and National Security graduates at Oakland University four years after completing sit below the list median of $55,964. | |||||
| 25 | Beloit College · Beloit, WI | $26,933 | $21,526 | $15,176 | 63.0% |
| Beloit College reports median earnings of $26,933 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, with 11 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 26 | Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI | $25,194 | $14,085 | $7,697 | 84.0% |
| Northern Michigan University, a public university in Marquette, admits 84% of applicants and posts an average net price of $14,085. | |||||
| 27 | Knox College · Galesburg, IL | $20,140 | $24,595 | $17,134 | 70.8% |
| Knox College ranks 27th on this list and shows an average net price of $17,134 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided International Relations and National Security completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 9 of the 27 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between Michigan State University and Northwestern University is $232, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $54,569.