Best International Relations Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 21 International Relations and National Security programs in the West by median earnings of International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing. Claremont McKenna College ranks 1st on this list, reporting $96,520 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the median earnings figure is $59,733, with a range from $96,520 to $47,734.
The list includes 10 public and 11 private nonprofit institutions. Portland State University posts the lowest average net price at $9,552.
University of California-Davis ranks 18th 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 | Claremont McKenna College · Claremont, CA | $96,520 | $28,849 | $15,308 | 9.6% |
| Claremont McKenna College reports median earnings of $96,520 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $91,075 | $13,807 | -$2,536* | 3.6% |
| Stanford University admits 4% of applicants and its International Relations and National Security graduates earn a median of $91,075 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $84,866 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California ranks 3rd on this page with earnings of $84,866, and its International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed left with a median of $13,247 in federal loans. | |||||
| 4 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $71,622 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Brigham Young University ranks 27th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $15,564. | |||||
| 5 | Occidental College · Los Angeles, CA | $70,394 | $38,263 | $20,705 | 44.2% |
| Occidental College posts median earnings of $70,394 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 44%. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $67,056 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis, a public university in Davis, reports median earnings of $67,056 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $65,775 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University admits 96% of applicants and its International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed left with a median of $16,625 in federal loans. | |||||
| 8 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $61,509 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| University of San Diego reports median earnings of $61,509 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $30,365. | |||||
| 9 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $60,448 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| Northern Arizona University ranks 127th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $60,448 for its International Relations and National Security graduates. | |||||
| 10 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $59,895 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| University of Denver reports an average net price of $36,131 and median federal debt of $19,500 among International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $59,733 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University ranks 11th on this list, with median earnings of $59,733 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $59,387 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco admits 62% of applicants and its International Relations and National Security graduates earn a median of $59,387 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $58,002 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| A public university in Reno, University of Nevada-Reno reports median earnings of $58,002 for its International Relations and National Security graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Lewis & Clark College · Portland, OR | $57,783 | $36,013 | $15,962 | 78.5% |
| Lewis & Clark College, a private nonprofit institution in Portland, posts an average net price of $36,013 and admits 78% of applicants. | |||||
| 15 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $56,436 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University ranks 15th on this list, with median earnings of $56,436 four years after completing and a median federal debt of $21,666 among International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 16 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $56,108 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| With 92 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of California-Riverside reports median earnings of $56,108 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Gonzaga University · Spokane, WA | $53,458 | $35,119 | $20,833 | 81.7% |
| Gonzaga University reports median earnings of $53,458 four years after completing and a school-wide median federal debt of $24,454 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 18 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $52,150 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| California State University-Chico ranks 91st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $52,150 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $50,238 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 90.8% |
| A public university in Cheney, Eastern Washington University posts an average net price of $13,886 and admits 91% of applicants. | |||||
| 20 | University of Idaho · Moscow, ID | $48,662 | $14,831 | $11,270 | 75.5% |
| University of Idaho reports median earnings of $48,662 four years after completing and a median federal debt of $23,785 among International Relations and National Security completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 21 | University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA | $47,734 | $38,394 | $23,643 | 72.3% |
| With 14 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Puget Sound reports median earnings of $47,734 four years after completing. | |||||
* 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 West appear. The figure captures the median earnings of federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from Claremont McKenna College to the bottom of the list is $48,786, and the gap between Claremont McKenna College and Stanford University is $5,445.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in the West
- Social Sciences Colleges in the West