2026 Best Value International Security Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
[International Security](/majors/social-sciences/international-relations-national-security/international-security/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for international security students.
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2026 Best Value International Security Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in international security, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value International Security Schools
Our analysis ranked Johns Hopkins University the best value for a degree in international security in the Middle Atlantic Region. Set in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,730. International Security graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, international security degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University generally make around $60,277. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value international security schools. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,926, with out-of-state students paying around $41,430. International Security graduates carry a median of $24,958 in student loans. Early-career international security graduates make about $60,025. That is a strong return on a $24,958 median debt. The acceptance rate is 58%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Syracuse University earned it the #3 place for international security. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $65,528 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,443 to complete the international security program here. Early-career international security graduates make about $62,805. That is a strong return on a $24,443 median debt. The acceptance rate is 46%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
