International Relations & National Security Studies

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    Total Degrees​
    Awarded in 2024
    13,035
    declining 7.46%
    Median In-State​
    Public Tuition
    $9,092
    growing 1.76%
    Median Out-of-State​
    Private Tuition
    $46,750
    growing 3.91%
    Average Wage
    $121,427
    growing 2.65%
    People in Workforce
    4.28M
    growing 2.26%
    Average Employee Age
    43.3
    growing 0.0797%

    About

    In 2024, the locations with the highest concentration of International Relations & National Security Studies degree recipients are Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, and New York, NY. In 2024, the locations with a relatively high number of International Relations & National Security Studies degree recipients are Monterey, CA, Northfield, VT, and Medford, MA. The most common degree awarded to students studying International Relations & National Security Studies is a bachelors degree.

    Photo by John Gillespie
    Social Sciences

    Institutions

    Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in International Relations & National Security Studies and the types of students that study this field. Johns Hopkins University awards the most degrees in International Relations & National Security Studies in the US, but Institute of World Politics and Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in International Relations & National Security Studies.

    Tuition costs for International Relations & National Security Studies majors are, on average, $9,092 for in-state public colleges, and $46,750 for out of state private colleges.

    The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers International Relations & National Security Studies programs are Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above institutions (262 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (7,965 completions).

    Institutions

    Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in International Relations & National Security Studies (2024)
    1. Johns Hopkins University
      885 degrees awarded
    2. American University
      794 degrees awarded
    3. George Washington University
      716 degrees awarded

    The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in International Relations & National Security Studies, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (7,965 completions in 2024).

    The following chart shows the share of universities that offer International Relations & National Security Studies programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

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    Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

    $9,092
    Median In-State Public
    $46,750
    Median Out of State Private

    Johns Hopkins University has the most International Relations & National Security Studies degree recipients, with 885 degrees awarded in 2024.

    The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in International Relations & National Security Studies.

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    Specialized Colleges

    Highest Concentration Institution
    1. Institute of World Politics
      100%
    2. Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean
      20.3%
    3. Schiller International University
      19.2%

    Out of all institutions that offer International Relations & National Security Studies programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Institute of World Politics has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in International Relations & National Security Studies, with 100%.

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    Degrees Awarded by County

    Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in International Relations & National Security Studies
    1. District of Columbia, DC
      2,191 degrees awarded
    2. Baltimore city, MD
      896 degrees awarded
    3. Baltimore City, MD
      896 degrees awarded

    This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in International Relations & National Security Studies by year.

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    Employment

    Information on the businesses and industries that employ Social Sciences graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

    The average salary for Social Sciences majors is $121,427 and the most common occupations are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers, Other managers, and Chief executives & legislators.

    The industry that employs the most Social Sciences majors is Elementary & secondary schools, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Prefabricated wood buildings & mobile homes.

    Yearly Income for Common Jobs

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.
    $121,427
    Average Wage in Workforce
    ± $1,581
    2.65%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 1.81%

    The average salary for Social Sciences majors is $121,427 and the most common occupations are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers, Other managers, and Chief executives & legislators.

    This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Social Sciences majors.

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    Highest Paying Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.
    Highest Paying Pumas
    1. Western Central PUMA, CT
      $281,640
    2. NYC-Manhattan Community Districts 1 & 2--Financial District & Greenwich Village PUMA, NY
      $274,785
    3. Norfolk County (Northwest)--Needham, Wellesley & Westwood PUMA, MA
      $270,666

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Social Sciences majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Social Sciences majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.

    The most common occupations for Social Sciences majors, by number of employees, are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers, Other managers, and Chief executives & legislators.

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    Most Specialized

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.

    Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Social Sciences majors working as Economists, Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers, and Judicial law clerks.

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    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.

    The highest paid occupations by median income for Social Sciences majors are Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists.

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    Occupations by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.
    4.28M
    2024 Workforce
    ± 50,076
    2.26%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 1.63%

    The number of Social Sciences graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.26%, from 4.18M in 2023 to 4.28M in 2024.

    The largest single share of Social Sciences graduates go on to work as Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (7.92%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Social Sciences by share of the total number of graduates.

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    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.

    The most common industries that employ Social Sciences majors, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools, Legal services, and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges.

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    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.

    The highest paying industries of Social Sciences majors, by average wage, are Prefabricated wood buildings & mobile homes, Metal ore mining, and Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals.

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    Industries by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.
    4.28M
    2024 Workforce
    ± 50,076
    2.26%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 1.63%

    The number of Social Sciences graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.26%, from 4.18M in 2023 to 4.28M in 2024.

    The industry which employs the most Social Sciences graduates by share is Elementary & secondary schools, followed by Legal services. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Social Sciences.

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    Specialty Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.
    PUMAS with a relatively high number of Social Sciences majors
    1. District of Columbia (West) PUMA, DC
      8.82
    2. District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC
      8.82
    3. District of Columbia (South Central) PUMA, DC
      8.72

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Social Sciences majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Social Sciences majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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    Diversity

    Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Social Sciences in the United States.

    The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Social Sciences is 43.3.

    The most common degree type these workers hold is a Bachelors Degree. Female employees are more likely to hold Social Sciences degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Social Sciences (6,338 students).

    Workforce Age

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.
    43.3
    Average Age in 2024
    ± 0.157 Years
    0.0797%
    1 Year Change
    ± 0.517%

    This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Social Sciences. The most common ages of employees with this major are 35 and 34 years old, which represent 2.87% and 2.85% of the population, respectively.

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    Degrees Awarded

    The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in International Relations & National Security Studies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Postbaccalaureate Certificate.

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    Workforce Degrees

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.

    The most common degree types held by the working population in Social Sciences are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

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    Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

    Female (55.2%)
    Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

    This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in International Relations & National Security Studies.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

    Degrees
    Most Common Race or Ethnicity
    1. White
      6,338 degrees awarded in 2024
    2. Hispanic or Latino
      1,974 degrees awarded in 2024
    3. Non-resident Alien
      1,971 degrees awarded in 2024

    This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in International Relations & National Security Studies for each race & ethnicity.

    In 2024, White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Sex

    Degrees
    Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination
    1. White Female
      2,151 degrees awarded
    2. White Male
      1,618 degrees awarded
    3. Hispanic or Latino Female
      820 degrees awarded

    This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Bachelors Degree recipients in International Relations & National Security Studies.

    White Female students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

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    Global Diversity

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course International Relations & National Security Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Social Sciences.
    Most Common Countries of Origin
    1. India
      54,310 degree recipients
    2. China
      46,503 degree recipients
    3. Mexico
      40,360 degree recipients
    High Relative Number of Students
    1. Kyrgyzstan
      4 times more than expected
    2. Belgium
      3.89 times more than expected
    3. Denmark
      3.88 times more than expected

    There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Kyrgyzstan that hold Social Sciences degrees (4 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is India (54,310 degree recipients).

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    Skills

    Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the International Relations & National Security Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. International Relations & National Security Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Writing. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that International Relations & National Security Studies majors need more than the average amount of Operations Analysis, Systems Analysis, and Systems Evaluation.

    These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for International Relations & National Security Studies majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Operations Analysis is very distinctive for majors, but the Writing, Reading Comprehension, and Speaking are the three most important skills for people in the field.

    Radar Distribution

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    Bar Chart

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