# International Relations and National Security Studies

> International Relations and National Security Studies is a field of study in the Social Sciences area.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/international-relations-and-national-security-studies
- CIP code: 45.09 (Social Sciences)
- Colleges offering it: 366 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 30 | $81,314 | $110,686 | $18,207 |
| Associate's | 23 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 366 | $45,374 | $66,122 | $19,500 |
| Master's | 113 | $71,708 | $89,679 | $42,750 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 7 | not reported | $100,686 | not reported |
| Doctoral | 18 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| First professional | 3 | $65,790 | $87,777 | $42,326 |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 47 | $65,613 | $78,920 | $35,880 |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Johns Hopkins University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/johns-hopkins-university-1344) | Baltimore, MD | $99,205 | not reported |
| [Claremont McKenna College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/claremont-mckenna-college-cmc-557) | Claremont, CA | $96,520 | not reported |
| [Fairfield University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/fairfield-university-934) | Fairfield, CT | $94,347 | not reported |
| [Middlebury College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/middlebury-college-1689) | Middlebury, VT | $92,728 | $16,250 |
| [Stanford University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/stanford-university-2589) | Stanford, CA | $91,075 | not reported |
| [William & Mary](https://www.collegesref.com/college/william-mary-3270) | Williamsburg, VA | $91,065 | $20,500 |
| [Bucknell University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bucknell-university-331) | Lewisburg, PA | $90,393 | $25,500 |
| [Angelo State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/angelo-state-university-81) | San Angelo, TX | $87,991 | $11,933 |
| [University of Pennsylvania](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Philadelphia, PA | $87,439 | not reported |
| [Brown University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brown-university-314) | Providence, RI | $86,780 | $11,750 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Political Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/political-scientists): $142,080 median pay
- [Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/brownfield-redevelopment-specialists-and-site-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Compliance Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/compliance-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Loss Prevention Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/loss-prevention-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Managers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/managers-all-other): $141,900 median pay
- [Regulatory Affairs Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/regulatory-affairs-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Wind Energy Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-development-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Wind Energy Operations Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-operations-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/political-science-teachers-postsecondary): $98,070 median pay

## More in Social Sciences

- [Political Science and Government](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/political-science-and-government): 1,087 colleges
- [Sociology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/sociology): 944 colleges
- [Economics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/economics): 767 colleges
- [Anthropology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/anthropology): 455 colleges
- [Social Sciences, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/social-sciences-general): 317 colleges
- [Geography and Cartography](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/geography-and-cartography): 293 colleges
- [Criminology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/criminology): 220 colleges
- [Social Sciences, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/social-sciences-other): 108 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/