---
title: Is an International Relations and National Security Studies degree worth the debt?
cip: 4509
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is an International Relations and National Security Studies degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **108** colleges (108 of 108 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $35,647 ($36,401 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $20,958 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.58× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $30,239–$39,682 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $35,647 | $20,958 | 0.58× | 108 | 108/108 |
| Master's | $58,049 | $42,940 | 0.84× | 36 | 36/36 |

## Where an Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yale University (CT) | $69,045 | — |
| Stanford University (CA) | $60,442 | — |
| Johns Hopkins University (MD) | $57,526 | $12,000 |
| American Public University System (WV) | $53,980 | $14,947 |
| University of Southern California (CA) | $48,625 | $13,247 |
| Lafayette College (PA) | $47,229 | $16,620 |
| Tufts University (MA) | $46,957 | $16,250 |
| Northwestern University (IL) | $46,450 | $19,234 |
| Emory University (GA) | $45,984 | $19,500 |
| George Washington University (DC) | $45,627 | $20,958 |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus (VA) | $45,350 | $19,500 |
| Georgetown University (DC) | $44,920 | $17,500 |
| Bucknell University (PA) | $44,905 | — |
| Connecticut College (CT) | $44,217 | $25,605 |
| William & Mary (VA) | $43,636 | $20,500 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/international-relations-and-national-security-studies.jsonld` · `/education/fields/international-relations-and-national-security-studies.json`