International Relations and National Security Studies graduates from Columbia University in the City of New York earn $107,574 median salary, above the national average for this program. Median debt: $80,500.
International Relations and National Security Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, New York • Master's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for International Relations and National Security Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Columbia University in the City of New York and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for International Relations and National Security Studies at the master's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program – not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 154 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Columbia University in the City of New York, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $107,574 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $89,672 across all institutions offering International Relations and National Security Studies, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Columbia University in the City of New York, the mean median-earnings figure is $114,132, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for International Relations and National Security Studies graduates at Columbia University in the City of New York is $80,500, which translates to roughly $671 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The descriptive debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.75: reported annual earnings exceed cumulative debt. This is a PlainCollege comparison, not a federal gainful-employment verdict. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
International Relations and National Security Studies at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | $118,569 | $74,360 |
| Rice University | $116,551 | - |
| Johns Hopkins University | $114,716 | $51,455 |
| Tufts University | $108,836 | $54,446 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York (this school) | $107,574 | $80,500 |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell | $103,784 | $19,662 |
| University of California-San Diego | $101,102 | $44,160 |
| American Public University System | $100,647 | $33,731 |
| George Mason University | $100,525 | $34,250 |
| George Washington University | $100,024 | $56,634 |
Other Programs at Columbia University in the City of New York
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | $312,330 | - |
| Law | $308,943 | $198,924 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $251,708 | $65,229 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | $220,151 | $320,742 |
| Computer Engineering | $194,365 | - |
| Computer Science | $188,265 | $19,594 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $184,384 | $43,335 |
| Dentistry | $182,326 | $324,057 |
| Statistics | $167,848 | $78,000 |
| Operations Research | $167,572 | - |
View all 94 programs at Columbia University in the City of New York →
Other Schools with International Relations and National Security Studies
Quick picks offering the same program – compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.