POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a post-baccalaureate certificate in International Relations and National Security Studies worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 2 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$100,686 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$100,686Median year-4 earnings
$34,203Average institution net-price context
$22,250Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$100,686Typical earnings four years after completion
Not availableAverage earnings five years after completion
$22,250Typical federal student debt
70thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
104Degrees awarded in 2024–25
1College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about International Relations and National Security Studies
How much do International Relations and National Security Studies post-baccalaureate certificate graduates earn?
The national median is $100,686 four years after completion across reportable post-baccalaureate certificate programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $22,250. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for International Relations and National Security Studies?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $100,686 to $100,686 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to International Relations and National Security Studies?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 3 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $110,686
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $66,308
- Federal debt
- $21,864
- Programs in the comparison
- 128
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $100,686
- Federal debt
- $22,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $91,052
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 40
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $87,777
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $78,920
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$100,686National median$100,68675th percentile$100,686
1 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
2 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 2 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Duke University$100,6862Syracuse UniversityNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Political Scientists$142,080 median wage5,540 jobs nationwide-2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$83,350–$195,190 typical wage rangeManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$98,070 median wage16,970 jobs nationwide+2.5% projected growth through 2035 · 1,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$56,450–$174,660 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.