Which state pays international relations bachelor's graduates the most?

Pennsylvania, where the median program pays its graduates $45,858 in their first year, the highest of 6 state rankings. Virginia is next, at $44,638.

Which international relations bachelor's program pays the most?

Bucknell University in Pennsylvania reports the highest first-year pay of the 105 programs ranked here, $77,312.

How much debt do international relations bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $21,750 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 59% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying International Relations (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

105 programs report first-year pay
6 state rankings
Bachelor's in International Relations and National Security Studies

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median international relations bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $36,889 in their first year and $64,642 five years after. Pennsylvania has the highest state median ($45,858), and Florida the lowest ($31,813). The median program leaves its graduates with $21,750 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$36,889Across 105 programs

Median pay after 5 years$64,642Across 109 programs

Median federal debt$21,750Across 107 programs

Debt-to-earnings59%Across 99 programs

All 105 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA · private nonprofit	$77,312	Not adjusted	$77,668	Not reported	Not reported
2	Stanford UniversityStanford, CA · private nonprofit	$76,166	Not adjusted	$128,687	Not reported	Not reported
3	Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT · private nonprofit	$68,344	Not adjusted	$116,041	Not reported	Not reported
4	UPennPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$65,559	Not adjusted	$92,024	$10,470	16%
5	Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA · private nonprofit	$58,433	Not adjusted	$89,758	$16,620	28%
6	Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · private nonprofit	$58,326	Not adjusted	$75,031	$19,234	33%
7	Tufts UniversityMedford, MA · private nonprofit	$54,079	Not adjusted	$80,548	$16,375	30%
8	Angelo StateSan Angelo, TX · public	$53,246	Not adjusted	Not reported	$11,066	21%
9	George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$52,933	Not adjusted	$84,705	$22,000	42%
10	USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$52,262	$47,202	$87,675	$13,765	26%
11	University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA · private nonprofit	$50,948	$46,015	$68,437	$24,100	47%
12	Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$50,588	Not adjusted	$80,731	$17,500	35%
13	BYUProvo, UT · private nonprofit	$50,563	Not adjusted	$94,047	Not reported	Not reported
14	Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT · private nonprofit	$49,239	Not adjusted	$75,046	$27,000	55%
15	American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV · private for-profit	$48,142	Not adjusted	$64,125	$13,410	28%
16	Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA · private nonprofit	$47,956	Not adjusted	$64,455	$20,500	43%
17	American UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$47,551	Not adjusted	$71,028	$23,250	49%
18	William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA · public	$47,270	$46,754	$81,921	$21,000	44%
19	UVACharlottesville, VA · public	$46,870	$46,358	$87,416	$20,672	44%
20	Embry-Riddle Daytona BeachDaytona Beach, FL · private nonprofit	$46,868	Not adjusted	$69,283	$22,901	49%
21	Fordham UniversityBronx, NY · private nonprofit	$46,653	$43,229	$75,033	$25,843	55%
22	Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · private nonprofit	$46,284	Not adjusted	$104,415	$12,000	26%
23	Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$45,870	Not adjusted	$74,117	$25,000	55%
24	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$45,858	Not adjusted	$67,400	$25,000	55%
25	Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT · private nonprofit	$45,543	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,855	57%
26	Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, NJ · private nonprofit	$45,440	Not adjusted	$64,432	$22,500	50%
27	Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY · private nonprofit	$45,332	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,000	42%
28	Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · private nonprofit	$45,022	Not adjusted	$80,251	$19,500	43%
29	JMUHarrisonburg, VA · public	$44,667	$44,179	$66,783	$18,460	41%
30	George MasonFairfax, VA · public	$44,644	$44,157	$63,843	$23,000	52%
31	Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA · public	$44,638	$44,151	$74,206	$21,500	48%
32	Virginia Military InstituteLexington, VA · public	$44,429	Not adjusted	$79,025	$21,500	48%
33	Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD · private nonprofit	$44,004	Not adjusted	$91,204	$12,000	27%
34	Norwich UniversityNorthfield, VT · private nonprofit	$43,621	Not adjusted	$76,825	$16,850	39%
35	Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA · private nonprofit	$43,567	$43,091	$65,865	$21,750	50%
36	University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA · public	$43,564	Not adjusted	$61,391	$20,500	47%
37	Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC · private nonprofit	$43,428	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,375	49%
38	Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$43,290	Not adjusted	Not reported	$20,750	48%
39	Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$43,249	Not adjusted	$65,420	$26,635	62%
40	Cal Poly Maritime AcademyVallejo, CA · public	$42,924	$38,768	Not reported	$26,000	61%
41	University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	$40,923	$39,711	$60,795	$19,500	48%
42	Hobart William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY · private nonprofit	$40,648	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	64%
43	Wheaton CollegeWheaton, IL · private nonprofit	$40,084	Not adjusted	$53,995	$23,875	60%
44	Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$39,630	Not adjusted	$72,396	$26,113	66%
45	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$39,275	$40,787	$67,971	$19,500	50%
46	Towson UniversityTowson, MD · public	$39,208	$37,356	$62,673	$25,000	64%
47	Chico StateChico, CA · public	$39,060	$35,278	$51,736	$15,095	39%
48	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$38,810	$40,336	$75,882	$24,766	64%
49	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$38,766	Not adjusted	$61,057	$21,977	57%
50	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$38,584	$41,589	$65,732	$19,500	51%
51	University of DelawareNewark, DE · public	$38,250	Not adjusted	$56,318	$25,000	65%
52	Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · private nonprofit	$37,507	$38,644	$57,316	$22,409	60%
53	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$36,889	$39,526	Not reported	$22,600	61%
54	SUNY College at GeneseoGeneseo, NY · public	$36,754	$34,056	$68,963	$21,519	59%
55	UW-OshkoshOshkosh, WI · public	$36,726	$39,031	Not reported	$25,450	69%
56	University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA · private nonprofit	$36,669	$33,119	$53,544	$24,508	67%
57	University of IowaIowa City, IA · public	$36,376	Not adjusted	$68,946	$26,030	72%
58	Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · private nonprofit	$36,147	Not adjusted	$80,384	$21,250	59%
59	IU BloomingtonBloomington, IN · public	$36,100	$38,680	$63,817	$19,000	53%
60	Fairmont StateFairmont, WV · public	$35,925	$40,141	Not reported	$24,250	68%
61	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$35,802	$37,210	$59,452	$27,000	75%
62	DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$35,792	$35,807	$55,741	$21,250	59%
63	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$35,361	$31,937	$67,020	$17,134	48%
64	University of MaineOrono, ME · public	$35,337	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	74%
65	University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · public	$35,324	Not adjusted	$58,536	$23,250	66%
66	Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$35,231	$31,820	$84,200	$19,275	55%
67	UC DavisDavis, CA · public	$34,949	$31,565	$68,661	$12,416	36%
68	TCNJEwing, NJ · public	$34,841	$32,022	$75,393	$24,952	72%
69	Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$34,575	Not adjusted	Not reported	$20,500	59%
70	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$34,343	$35,665	$55,715	$23,000	67%
71	University of New HampshireDurham, NH · public	$34,036	Not adjusted	$69,297	$27,000	79%
72	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$33,612	Not adjusted	$55,763	$20,500	61%
73	Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, VA · public	$33,581	$33,214	$44,480	$25,750	77%
74	FIUMiami, FL · public	$33,417	$32,314	$51,904	$18,637	56%
75	Loyola ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$32,682	$32,696	$55,884	$21,500	66%
76	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$32,543	$35,078	Not reported	$25,625	79%
77	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$32,098	$31,038	$60,401	$17,767	55%
78	Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY · private nonprofit	$31,956	Not adjusted	$75,748	$20,232	63%
79	University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · private nonprofit	$31,813	Not adjusted	$76,506	$17,250	54%
80	SUNY OneontaOneonta, NY · public	$31,455	$29,146	Not reported	$17,125	54%
81	Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	$31,434	$33,882	Not reported	$25,500	81%
82	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$31,254	$28,228	$54,685	$16,750	54%
83	USFTampa, FL · public	$30,977	$29,954	$55,427	$18,250	59%
84	City College of New YorkNew York, NY · public	$30,627	$28,379	$60,089	$13,337	44%
85	University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg, VA · public	$30,357	$30,026	$56,845	$25,086	83%
86	University of IdahoMoscow, ID · public	$30,261	$31,689	$58,204	$24,400	81%
87	Portland StatePortland, OR · public	$30,253	$29,269	$36,229	$24,250	80%
88	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$29,924	$29,723	$55,790	$20,632	69%
89	University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV · public	$29,539	$29,545	$52,794	$23,437	79%
90	University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	$28,596	$28,996	$55,760	$21,167	74%
91	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$28,202	$29,311	$39,625	$19,000	67%
92	University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA · private nonprofit	$28,176	Not adjusted	$65,403	$25,798	92%
93	Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL · private nonprofit	$28,113	Not adjusted	$64,642	$27,000	96%
94	Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · public	$27,664	Not adjusted	$41,651	$25,008	90%
95	UC RiversideRiverside, CA · public	$27,021	$24,405	$56,758	$18,914	70%
96	Eckerd CollegeSaint Petersburg, FL · private nonprofit	$26,526	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
97	Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA · private nonprofit	$26,306	Not adjusted	$73,787	$18,486	70%
98	UTSASan Antonio, TX · public	$25,879	$26,664	Not reported	$24,343	94%
99	Goucher CollegeBaltimore, MD · private nonprofit	$25,868	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	101%
100	SUNY OswegoOswego, NY · public	$24,893	$23,066	Not reported	$24,376	98%
101	Allegheny CollegeMeadville, PA · private nonprofit	$24,303	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	111%
102	Rhodes CollegeMemphis, TN · private nonprofit	$23,835	Not adjusted	$64,958	$22,072	93%
103	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$22,612	Not adjusted	$57,811	$24,208	107%
104	Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY · public	$21,915	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
105	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$20,547	$21,170	Not reported	$18,344	89%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 51 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 54, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

6 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked.

International Relations (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's international relations bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Pennsylvania	7	$45,858	$21,250
2	Virginia	9	$44,638	$21,500
3	Georgia	5	$39,275	$20,500
4	New York	9	$36,754	$21,635
5	California	12	$36,015	$18,914
6	Florida	7	$31,813	$18,250

Programs in 32 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

UPenn, PA$10,470
UC Davis, CA$12,416
City College of New York, NY$13,337
USC, CA$13,765
Chico State, CA$15,095
Lafayette College, PA$16,620
San Francisco State, CA$16,750
SUNY Oneonta, NY$17,125
San Diego State, CA$17,134
University of Miami, FL$17,250

Lowest debt for the pay

UPenn, PA16%
USC, CA26%
Lafayette College, PA28%
UC Davis, CA36%
Chico State, CA39%
JMU, VA41%
Hamilton College, NY42%
Emory University, GA43%
City College of New York, NY44%
UVA, VA44%

Only the 46 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to international relations, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Political Scientists

$142,080

Median pay in the US. 5,540 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $83,350Top 10%: $195,190

Common questions

The median international relations bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $36,889 in their first year and $64,642 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024