25 Best Master's in International Relations Degrees 2020
This list presents the 25 best institutions for students pursuing a master's degree in international relations based on alumni earnings in the first year after graduation. Georgetown University ranks highest, followed closely by American Public University System, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University. The lowest median debt on the list is for alumni of Texas A&M-College Station.
Tuition, median salaries, and median debt were reported by the U.S. Department of Education in November 2019. View our methodology for more details about these rankings or read more about the top-ranked schools.
| School | Annual Tuition | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | $57,049 | $67,597 | $69,700 |
| George Mason University | $38,986 | $38,501 | $60,500 |
| American University | $39,126 | $72,714 | $57,500 |
| St. Mary's University | $20,452 | $41,000 | $52,900 |
| Seton Hall University | $34,328 | $43,250 | $43,100 |
2020 Best Colleges Highlights
Georgetown University offers a Master of Science in Foreign Service, the university's graduate program that covers international relations, history, and economics. There are 48 units required for this master's degree; 18 units of core courses are taken in the first year, 18 units will be taken in the student's concentration, and then there are 12 units of elective courses. The concentrations students can choose from are Global Politics and Security, International Development, Global Business and Finance, and the option for a self-designed concentration.
This program allows for different kinds of degree tailoring, letting students gain knowledge in their specified interests alongside the necessary general course work. First, students can choose a concentration (the fourth concentration's openness speaks to how the program encourages students' interests). Within each concentration, there are further specializations to choose from. Then, of course, the elective classes allow students to explore various interests they may have outside of their main concentration. The master's in foreign service also requires students complete an internship. This can be done over the summer or during the academic year, and it can be a year- or semester-long internship.