International Relations and National Security Studies at American University

Washington, DC · Bachelor's Degree · about 387 graduates a year

$47,551
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$73,865
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$66,596
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#31 of 118
Rank by pay
#57 of 118
Rank, wage-adjusted
$23,250
Median federal debt

American University graduates in international relations and national security studies earn 11% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 31% of one year’s pay at that point.

How American University Compares for International Relations and National Security Studies

All 118 colleges reporting international relations and national security studies earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD$99,205$87,064#8$44,004
2Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA$96,520$87,827#7—
3Fairfield University Fairfield, CT$94,347$84,942#10$49,239
4Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Monterey, CA$92,728$84,376#12$68,344
5Middlebury College Middlebury, VT$92,728$95,239#1$68,344
6Stanford University Stanford, CA$91,075$82,872#14$76,166
7William & Mary Williamsburg, VA$91,065$82,923#13$47,270
8Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA$90,393$91,930#2$77,312
9Angelo State University San Angelo, TX$87,991$89,461#5$53,246
10University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA$87,439$88,926#6$65,559
…
28Northeastern University Boston, MA$74,816$65,883#52—
29Michigan State University East Lansing, MI$74,709$78,772#19$38,810
30Northwestern University Evanston, IL$74,477$73,173#30$58,326
31American University Washington, DC$73,865$64,725#57$47,551
32Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA$72,700$66,200#51$44,429
33Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA$71,988$65,552#53$44,638
34Connecticut College New London, CT$71,960$64,787#55$45,543

Other International Relations and National Security Studies Credentials at American University

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Master's Degree$69,872$97,808$61,500

Other Majors at American University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Finance and Financial Management Services$134,332$83,505#8 of 452
Accounting and Related Services$119,020—#8 of 796
Computer Science$117,293—#87 of 349
Business Administration, Management and Operations$88,359$58,299#63 of 1176
Economics$85,016$58,151#137 of 368
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$78,410$50,026#16 of 178
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies$76,552$49,486#13 of 207
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians$75,461$19,337#1 of 19
Political Science and Government$73,604$48,034#84 of 565
Non-Professional Legal Studies$72,792$45,790#5 of 39
Public Health$70,831$42,194#25 of 215
Communication and Media Studies$67,863$36,980#73 of 660
Criminal Justice and Corrections$66,970$37,147#50 of 660
Journalism$66,635$44,387#19 of 187
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$66,160$55,625#10 of 680
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$63,711$46,780#41 of 265
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$63,553$46,206#8 of 103
Psychology$62,240$25,773#68 of 1027
History$59,630$43,809#62 of 459
Literature$54,436$23,164#2 of 8
Anthropology$53,036—#48 of 188
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$52,661$26,767#20 of 144
Area Studies—$43,671—
Sociology—$40,119—
Fine and Studio Arts—$35,115—
Biology—$33,917—
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft—$23,979—

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do American University international relations and national security studies graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $47,551 one year after graduating and $73,865 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does American University rank for international relations and national security studies?

Among 118 colleges reporting earnings for international relations and national security studies graduates, American University ranks #31 by median pay four years after graduation, and #57 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is international relations and national security studies at American University worth it?

Its graduates earn 11% more than the national median for international relations and national security studies ($66,596), and the median federal debt at graduation is $23,250.

← All data for American University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.