MASTER'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a master's degree in International Relations and National Security Studies worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 40 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$91,052 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.
$91,052Median year-4 earnings
$25,850Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$91,052Typical earnings four years after completion
$92,403Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
62thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
40College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 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 master's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $91,052 four years after completion across reportable master's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for International Relations and National Security Studies?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $81,518 to $97,808 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$81,518National median$91,05275th percentile$97,808
40 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.
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$114,716Observed year-4 earnings$81,886
Georgetown University$40,815 price · $118,569 earningsRice University$13,370 price · $116,551 earningsJohns Hopkins University$18,809 price · $114,716 earningsTufts University$39,998 price · $108,836 earningsColumbia University in the City of New York$21,590 price · $107,574 earningsUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell$17,163 price · $103,784 earningsUniversity of California, San Diego$12,470 price · $101,102 earningsAmerican Public University System$9,597 price · $100,647 earningsGeorge Mason University$17,915 price · $100,525 earningsGeorge Washington University$36,586 price · $100,024 earningsAmerican University$41,943 price · $97,808 earningsUniversity of Arizona$16,674 price · $96,058 earningsTexas A&M University-College Station$21,315 price · $95,282 earningsSan Diego State University$15,364 price · $94,199 earningsFordham University$44,338 price · $93,706 earningsNew York University$37,050 price · $93,034 earningsSyracuse University$38,793 price · $92,844 earningsMiddlebury College$31,483 price · $92,176 earningsNorwich University$22,257 price · $89,927 earningsSeton Hall University$31,446 price · $89,431 earningsWebster University$27,047 price · $88,756 earningsAngelo State University$15,091 price · $86,451 earningsArizona State University Campus Immersion$14,967 price · $85,299 earningsThe University of Texas at Austin$19,857 price · $84,481 earningsUniversity of Chicago$14,860 price · $83,492 earningsEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott$40,287 price · $81,886 earningsEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach$41,272 price · $81,886 earnings
$12,470Annual college-wide average net price$41,272
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Georgetown University$118,5692Rice University$116,5513Johns Hopkins University$114,7164Tufts University$108,8365Columbia University in the City of New York$107,5746University of Massachusetts-Lowell$103,7847University of California, San Diego$101,1028American Public University System$100,6479George Mason University$100,52510George Washington University$100,024Observed 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.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
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.