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The Top International Relations Schools of 2024, Ranked

An insider’s guide to the world’s best programs—for both policy and academic careers.

July 30, 2024, 8:00 AM

By Irene Entringer García Blanes, Susan Peterson, and Michael J. Tierney

An illustration of hands tossing graduation caps into the air against a blue sky and lines of a chart for a ranking of international relations schools.

The Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) Project at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute has long partnered with Foreign Policy to create a reputational ranking of academic programs in international relations. Over the past two decades, our process has remained simple and consistent: We ask IR professionals what they think are the five best places to study for an undergraduate, terminal master’s, and doctoral degree.

In our most recent survey on the topic, conducted from October 2022 to January 2023, we received responses from 979 IR scholars across the United States, 294 staff affiliated with U.S. think tanks, and 291 policymakers who worked in the U.S. government during the George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations. For the first time, we also asked respondents which Ph.D. programs are best for a student interested in a policy career, rather than an academic one. As the number of tenure-track positions in universities declines and the demand for expertise within the policy community increases, this question is more relevant today than ever before.

JUMP TO CATEGORY

Undergraduate Programs

Best International Relations Schools for Undergraduate Programs, per International Relations faculty
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Princeton University	48.37
2	Harvard University	46.65
3	Georgetown University	43.59
4	Stanford University	42.83
5	Columbia University	29.83
6	University of Chicago	23.33
7	Yale University	17.4
8	American University	15.49
9	George Washington University	14.91
10	Dartmouth College	14.72
11	University of California, San Diego	11.85
12	University of California, Berkeley	10.52
13	University of Michigan	10.33
14	Johns Hopkins University	10.13
14	Tufts University	10.13
16	William & Mary	9.56
17	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	8.22
18	University of Pennsylvania	5.93
19	Brown University	5.35
20	Swarthmore College	4.02
20	University of Denver	4.02
22	Ohio State University	3.82
22	University of California, Los Angeles	3.82
24	Cornell University	3.63
25	University of Virginia	3.44
26	New York University	3.25
26	University of Notre Dame	3.25
26	University of Southern California	3.25
29	Duke University	3.06
29	Williams College	3.06
31	University of Texas at Austin	2.87
32	Middlebury College	2.29
33	Brigham Young University	2.1
34	University of Minnesota, Twin Cities	1.91
34	Wellesley College	1.91
36	University of Wisconsin, Madison	1.72
37	Boston University	1.53
38	Indiana University, Bloomington	1.34
38	Pomona College	1.34
38	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	1.34
41	Boston College	1.15
41	Macalester College	1.15
41	Syracuse University	1.15
41	Vanderbilt University	1.15
41	Washington University in St. Louis	1.15
46	Carleton College	0.96
46	Pennsylvania State University	0.96
46	University of California, Santa Barbara	0.96
46	University of Rochester	0.96
46	University of Washington	0.96
51	Amherst College	0.76
51	Claremont McKenna College	0.76
51	Emory University	0.76
51	Rice University	0.76
51	Rutgers University, New Brunswick	0.76
51	Seton Hall University	0.76
51	Texas A&M University	0.76
51	University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee	0.76
51	Vassar College	0.76
60	Colgate University	0.57
60	Florida International University	0.57
60	Hobart and William Smith Colleges	0.57
60	Northwestern University	0.57
60	Oberlin College and Conservatory	0.57
60	United States Military Academy, West Point	0.57
60	University of California, Irvine	0.57
60	University of Georgia	0.57
60	University of Maryland, College Park	0.57
60	Virginia Tech	0.57
70	Arizona State University	0.38
70	Baylor University	0.38
70	Bowdoin College	0.38
70	Davidson College	0.38
70	Eckerd College	0.38
70	Elon University	0.38
70	Hillsdale College	0.38
70	Michigan State University	0.38
70	Occidental College	0.38
70	St. John's College	0.38
70	The New School	0.38
70	University of Florida	0.38
70	University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	0.38
83	Assumption University	0.19
83	Barnard College	0.19
83	California State University, Chico	0.19
83	Carnegie Mellon University	0.19
83	Colby College	0.19
83	College of Wooster	0.19
83	Dickinson College	0.19
83	George Mason University	0.19
83	Georgia Institute of Technology	0.19
83	Ithaca College	0.19
83	Kalamazoo College	0.19
83	Kennesaw State University	0.19
83	Lafayette College	0.19
83	Lewis & Clark	0.19
83	Mount Holyoke College	0.19
83	Northeastern University	0.19
83	Pepperdine University	0.19
83	Purdue University	0.19
83	Reed College	0.19
83	Rhodes College	0.19
83	Roger Williams University	0.19
83	Sam Houston State University	0.19
83	St. Thomas Aquinas College	0.19
83	Temple University	0.19
83	Texas Christian University	0.19
83	The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina	0.19
83	Evergreen State College	0.19
83	Troy University	0.19
83	Truman State University	0.19
83	United States Naval Academy	0.19
83	University at Albany, State University of New York	0.19
83	University of California, Davis	0.19
83	University of California, San Francisco	0.19
83	University of California, Santa Cruz	0.19
83	University of Colorado, Boulder	0.19
83	University of Hawaii, Manoa	0.19
83	University of Iowa	0.19
83	University of Massachusetts, Amherst	0.19
83	University of Mississippi	0.19
83	University of Pittsburgh	0.19
83	University of Puget Sound	0.19
83	University of Toledo	0.19
83	University of Utah	0.19
83	University of Vermont	0.19
83	Ursinus College	0.19
83	Virginia Commonwealth University	0.19
83	Virginia Military Institute	0.19
83	Washington and Lee University	0.19
83	Webster University	0.19
83	Wesleyan University	0.19
83	Wright State University	0.19

Best International Relations Schools for Undergraduate Programs, per Policymakers
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Georgetown University	70.39
2	Harvard University	61.18
3	Princeton University	42.11
4	Stanford University	38.82
5	Johns Hopkins University	30.92
6	Yale University	28.95
7	Tufts University	27.63
8	George Washington University	25
9	Columbia University	22.37
10	American University	11.18
10	University of Chicago	11.18
12	University of California, Berkeley	8.55
13	University of Virginia	6.58
14	William & Mary	4.61
15	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor	3.95
15	University of Texas at Austin	3.95
17	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	3.29
18	Brown University	2.63
18	New York University	2.63
18	University of Pennsylvania	2.63
18	Williams College	2.63
22	Cornell University	1.97
22	Dartmouth College	1.97
22	Duke University	1.97
22	Middlebury College	1.97
22	Syracuse University	1.97
22	Texas A&M University	1.97
22	United States Military Academy, West Point	1.97
22	University of California, Los Angeles	1.97
30	Liberty University	1.32
30	Pomona College	1.32
30	United States Naval Academy	1.32
30	University of California, San Diego	1.32
30	University of Colorado, Boulder	1.32
30	University of Denver	1.32
30	University of Notre Dame	1.32
30	University of Southern California	1.32
30	University of Washington	1.32
30	University of Wisconsin, Madison	1.32
40	Adams State University	0.66
40	Arizona State University	0.66
40	Brigham Young University	0.66
40	Carleton College	0.66
40	Colorado State University	0.66
40	George Mason University	0.66
40	Marine Corps University	0.66
40	Mercyhurst University	0.66
40	Missouri State University	0.66
40	Regent University	0.66
40	Rice University	0.66
40	Sarah Lawrence College	0.66
40	Seton Hall University	0.66
40	Swarthmore College	0.66
40	Catholic University of America	0.66
40	The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina	0.66
40	Tulane University	0.66
40	United States Air Force Academy	0.66
40	University of California, Santa Barbara	0.66
40	University of Houston	0.66
40	University of Massachusetts, Amherst	0.66
40	University of Missouri	0.66
40	University of Nebraska, Lincoln	0.66
40	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	0.66
40	University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee	0.66
40	Ursinus College	0.66
40	Utah Valley University	0.66
40	Vanderbilt University	0.66
40	Virginia Military Institute	0.66
40	Washington and Lee University	0.66

Best International Relations Schools for Undergraduate Programs, per Think tank staffers
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Georgetown University	65.12
2	Harvard University	64.34
3	Princeton University	47.29
4	Stanford University	44.19
5	Columbia University	40.31
6	Yale University	29.46
7	Johns Hopkins University	27.13
8	George Washington University	21.71
9	Tufts University	16.28
10	University of Chicago	14.73
11	American University	6.98
11	University of California, Berkeley	6.98
13	University of California, San Diego	6.2
14	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	5.43
15	Cornell University	3.88
15	University of Pennsylvania	3.88
15	William & Mary	3.88
15	Williams College	3.88
19	Dartmouth College	3.1
20	Brown University	2.33
20	New York University	2.33
20	University of Michigan	2.33
20	University of Virginia	2.33
24	Duke University	1.55
24	Northwestern University	1.55
24	Swarthmore College	1.55
24	Texas A&M University	1.55
24	University of California, Davis	1.55
24	University of California, Los Angeles	1.55
24	University of Denver	1.55
24	University of Southern California	1.55
24	University of Washington	1.55
33	Barclay College	0.78
33	Brigham Young University	0.78
33	Carleton College	0.78
33	Carnegie Mellon University	0.78
33	George Mason University	0.78
33	Indiana University, Bloomington	0.78
33	Middlebury College	0.78
33	Pomona College	0.78
33	SUNY, Geneseo	0.78
33	Syracuse University	0.78
33	Ohio State University	0.78
33	Tulane University	0.78
33	United States Naval Academy	0.78
33	University of Central Florida	0.78
33	University of Hawaii, Manoa	0.78
33	University of Maryland College Park	0.78
33	University of Massachusetts, Amherst	0.78
33	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	0.78
33	University of Texas at Austin	0.78
33	Washington University in St. Louis	0.78
33	Wellesley College	0.78

These results should look familiar to those who follow national undergraduate rankings. Ivy League schools, Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and a few large public universities were favored across the board. But a handful of outliers punched well above their weight: Georgetown University, American University, George Washington University, Tufts University, and William & Mary all placed much higher here compared with their rankings in U.S. News & World Report, widely considered the most influential college ranking in the United States. In fact, Georgetown stands out as the top undergraduate choice among policymakers and think tank staff.

Master’s Programs

Best International Relations Schools for Master's Programs, per International Relations faculty
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Georgetown University	75.34
2	Johns Hopkins University	59.03
3	Harvard University	52.23
4	Columbia University	39.61
5	Princeton University	34.37
6	George Washington University	33.2
7	Tufts University	32.04
8	American University	22.52
9	London School of Economics and Political Science	13.59
10	University of Chicago	12.04
11	Stanford University	8.16
12	University of Denver	7.77
13	Yale University	6.41
14	University of California, San Diego	4.66
15	Sciences Po	4.27
16	Syracuse University	4.08
17	University of Oxford	3.69
18	Texas A&M University	3.11
19	University of Texas at Austin	2.72
20	Geneva Graduate Institute	2.33
21	King's College London	2.14
21	University of Cambridge	2.14
21	University of Michigan	2.14
24	New York University	1.75
25	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	1.55
25	University of California, Berkeley	1.55
27	University of Pittsburgh	1.36
28	Duke University	1.17
28	Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey	1.17
30	Cornell University	0.97
30	Seton Hall University	0.97
30	University of Notre Dame	0.97
30	University of Pennsylvania	0.97
30	University of Toronto	0.97
30	University of Virginia	0.97
36	Leiden University	0.78
36	Ohio State University	0.78
38	Boston University	0.58
38	George Mason University	0.58
38	The New School	0.58
38	Pennsylvania State University	0.58
38	University of London	0.58
38	University of Maryland, College Park	0.58
44	Aberystwyth University	0.39
44	Australian National University	0.39
44	Brown University	0.39
44	Dartmouth College	0.39
44	Georgia Institute of Technology	0.39
44	Hertie School of Governance	0.39
44	University of British Columbia	0.39
44	University of California, Los Angeles	0.39
44	University of Georgia	0.39
44	Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University	0.39
44	University of St. Andrews	0.39
44	University of Sussex	0.39
44	University of Washington	0.39
44	Uppsala University	0.39
58	Albright College	0.19
58	Angelo State University	0.19
58	Arizona State University	0.19
58	Barcelona Institute of International Studies	0.19
58	Baylor University	0.19
58	Berlin Polytechnic	0.19
58	Carleton College	0.19
58	Carleton University	0.19
58	Carnegie Mellon University	0.19
58	Central European University	0.19
58	Clark University	0.19
58	Erasmus University Rotterdam	0.19
58	Florida International University	0.19
58	Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations	0.19
58	Hillsdale College	0.19
58	Indiana University, Bloomington	0.19
58	Institute of World Politics	0.19
58	Kennesaw State University	0.19
58	Michigan State University	0.19
58	Nanyang Technological University	0.19
58	National University of Singapore	0.19
58	Naval Postgraduate School	0.19
58	North Carolina State University	0.19
58	Northeastern University	0.19
58	Old Dominion University	0.19
58	Paris Nanterre University	0.19
58	Peking University	0.19
58	Pomona College	0.19
58	Royal Holloway, University of London	0.19
58	Rutgers University, New Brunswick	0.19
58	Sam Houston State University	0.19
58	St. Thomas Aquinas College	0.19
58	Catholic University of America	0.19
58	The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina	0.19
58	Troy University	0.19
58	Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University	0.19
58	University of Arizona	0.19
58	University of Baltimore	0.19
58	University of California, Irvine	0.19
58	University of California, Santa Barbara	0.19
58	University of Colorado, Denver	0.19
58	University of Florida	0.19
58	University of Hawaii, Manoa	0.19
58	University of Hong Kong	0.19
58	University of Kent	0.19
58	University of Kentucky	0.19
58	University of Minnesota, Twin Cities	0.19
58	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	0.19
58	University of South Carolina, Columbia	0.19
58	University of Sydney	0.19
58	University of Warwick	0.19
58	University of Wisconsin, Madison	0.19
58	Virginia Tech	0.19
58	Washington University in St. Louis	0.19
58	Webster University	0.19
58	Western Michigan University	0.19
58	William & Mary	0.19
58	World Trade Institute University of Bern	0.19
58	Wright State University	0.19
58	Yonsei University	0.19

Best International Relations Schools for Master's Programs, per Policymakers
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Georgetown University	67.39
2	Johns Hopkins University	61.59
3	Harvard University	58.7
4	Tufts University	39.13
5	Princeton University	34.78
6	Columbia University	26.81
7	London School of Economics and Political Science	20.29
8	George Washington University	17.39
9	Stanford University	14.49
10	American University	12.32
10	Yale University	12.32
12	University of Oxford	11.59
13	University of Chicago	5.8
14	Sciences Po	4.35
15	King's College London	3.62
16	National War College	2.9
16	University of California, Berkeley	2.9
18	National Defense University	2.17
18	University of Cambridge	2.17
18	University of Denver	2.17
18	University of Pennsylvania	2.17
18	University of Texas at Austin	2.17
18	University of Virginia	2.17
24	Duke University	1.45
24	George Mason University	1.45
24	Liberty University	1.45
24	Naval Postgraduate School	1.45
24	Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University	1.45
24	University of Michigan	1.45
24	University of Pittsburgh	1.45
24	William & Mary	1.45
32	Air War College	0.72
32	Arizona State University	0.72
32	Australian National University	0.72
32	Catholic University, Leuven	0.72
32	Cornell University	0.72
32	Florida International University	0.72
32	Iowa State University of Science and Technology	0.72
32	Leiden University	0.72
32	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	0.72
32	Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey	0.72
32	Missouri State University	0.72
32	National University of Singapore	0.72
32	Naval War College	0.72
32	Seton Hall University	0.72
32	Syracuse University	0.72
32	Texas A&M University	0.72
32	Tulane University	0.72
32	United States Military Academy, West Point	0.72
32	University of California, San Diego	0.72
32	University of Colorado, Boulder	0.72
32	University of Kentucky	0.72
32	University of London	0.72
32	University of Massachusetts, Amherst	0.72
32	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	0.72
32	University of Notre Dame	0.72
32	University of South Carolina, Columbia	0.72
32	University of St. Andrews	0.72
32	University of Sussex	0.72
32	University of Sydney	0.72

Best International Relations Schools for Master's Programs, per Think tank staffers
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Georgetown University	73.17
2	Johns Hopkins University	65.85
3	Harvard University	52.03
4	Columbia University	42.28
5	Tufts University	39.84
6	Princeton University	38.21
7	George Washington University	21.14
8	London School of Economics and Political Science	17.07
9	University of Oxford	16.26
10	Stanford University	13.01
11	Yale University	8.94
12	American University	8.13
13	Sciences Po	6.5
13	University of California, San Diego	6.5
15	University of Chicago	5.69
16	King's College London	3.25
16	New York University	3.25
16	University of California, Berkeley	3.25
19	University of Cambridge	2.44
20	Geneva Graduate Institute	1.63
20	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	1.63
20	National University of Singapore	1.63
20	Texas A&M University	1.63
20	University of London	1.63
20	University of Michigan	1.63
20	University of Texas at Austin	1.63
20	University of Virginia	1.63
28	Australian National University	0.81
28	Central European University	0.81
28	College of Europe, Belgium	0.81
28	Cornell University	0.81
28	Duke University	0.81
28	Institute of World Politics	0.81
28	Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey	0.81
28	National Defense University	0.81
28	Naval Postgraduate School	0.81
28	Northwestern University	0.81
28	Pace University	0.81
28	Pepperdine University	0.81
28	Sophia University	0.81
28	Syracuse University	0.81
28	Tulane University	0.81
28	University College London	0.81
28	University of California, Davis	0.81
28	University of Denver	0.81
28	University of Edinburgh	0.81
28	University of Pennsylvania	0.81
28	University of St. Andrews	0.81
28	University of Sussex	0.81
28	University of Tokyo	0.81
28	University of Washington	0.81
28	William & Mary	0.81

For master’s students hoping to pursue a policy career, all three groups we surveyed expressed a preference for programs on the East Coast. Only a few schools located west of the Rocky Mountains made the top 20 in each list. Respondents also highlighted several options outside the United States in the top 20: IR faculty included four international programs, while policymakers included five—all located in Europe—and think tankers included eight, one of which is in Asia.

Ph.D. Programs for Academics

Best International Relations Schools for PhD Programs for Academics, per International Relations faculty
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Harvard University	64.65
2	Princeton University	60.3
3	Stanford University	59.36
4	Columbia University	38
5	University of Chicago	27.6
6	Yale University	27.03
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	20.04
7	University of California, San Diego	20.04
9	University of Michigan	17.58
10	University of California, Berkeley	17.01
11	University of Oxford	12.85
12	Georgetown University	11.53
13	London School of Economics and Political Science	7.94
14	Cornell University	6.24
15	Johns Hopkins University	6.05
16	University of Cambridge	5.86
17	Ohio State University	5.48
18	University of Pennsylvania	5.29
19	George Washington University	4.91
19	New York University	4.91
21	American University	4.16
22	University of California, Los Angeles	3.78
23	Duke University	2.65
24	Tufts University	1.89
24	University of Minnesota, Twin Cities	1.89
26	University of Texas at Austin	1.7
27	Emory University	1.51
27	University of Rochester	1.51
27	University of Toronto	1.51
30	Brown University	1.32
30	Pennsylvania State University	1.32
30	University of Virginia	1.32
30	University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee	1.32
34	Geneva Graduate Institute	0.95
34	Rice University	0.95
34	Sciences Po	0.95
34	University of Denver	0.95
34	University of Iowa	0.95
34	University of Southern California	0.95
34	Washington University in St. Louis	0.95
41	Aberystwyth University	0.76
41	Northwestern University	0.76
41	University of Amsterdam	0.76
41	University of Maryland, College Park	0.76
41	University of St. Andrews	0.76
41	University of Wisconsin, Madison	0.76
47	Australian National University	0.57
47	Baylor University	0.57
47	University of Georgia	0.57
47	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	0.57
47	University of North Texas	0.57
47	University of Notre Dame	0.57
47	Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University	0.57
47	Uppsala University	0.57
55	Boston College	0.38
55	Dartmouth College	0.38
55	Florida International University	0.38
55	George Mason University	0.38
55	Indiana University, Bloomington	0.38
55	Michigan State University	0.38
55	Queen's University, Canada	0.38
55	University of Arizona	0.38
55	University of Essex	0.38
55	University of London	0.38
55	University of Sussex	0.38
55	University of Warwick	0.38
55	University of Washington	0.38
55	Vanderbilt University	0.38
55	York University	0.38
70	Charles University	0.19
70	Corvinus University of Budapest	0.19
70	ETH Zurich	0.19
70	Eastern Illinois University	0.19
70	European University Institute	0.19
70	Free University of Berlin	0.19
70	Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations	0.19
70	Hebrew University of Jerusalem	0.19
70	Hillsdale College	0.19
70	Jagiellonian University	0.19
70	Kennesaw State University	0.19
70	King's College London	0.19
70	Koc University	0.19
70	Leiden University	0.19
70	Lund University	0.19
70	McGill University	0.19
70	Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey	0.19
70	National University of Singapore	0.19
70	Old Dominion University	0.19
70	Paris Nanterre University	0.19
70	Syracuse University	0.19
70	Texas A&M University	0.19
70	The New School	0.19
70	University College Cork	0.19
70	University of Bologna	0.19
70	University of California, Irvine	0.19
70	University of Connecticut	0.19
70	University of Copenhagen	0.19
70	University of Edinburgh	0.19
70	University of Hawaii, Manoa	0.19
70	University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	0.19
70	University of Mississippi	0.19
70	University of Nebraska, Lincoln	0.19
70	University of Oklahoma	0.19
70	University of Ottawa	0.19
70	University of Pittsburgh	0.19
70	University of Queensland	0.19
70	University of São Paulo	0.19
70	University of Utah	0.19
70	University of Zaragoza	0.19
70	Virginia Tech	0.19

Best International Relations Schools for PhD Programs for Academics, per Policymakers
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Harvard University	85.53
2	Stanford University	56.58
3	Princeton University	51.32
4	Yale University	42.11
5	University of Oxford	34.21
6	Georgetown University	31.58
7	Columbia University	27.63
8	Johns Hopkins University	25
9	University of Chicago	19.74
10	London School of Economics and Political Science	17.11
11	University of California, Berkeley	13.16
12	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	11.84
12	University of Cambridge	11.84
14	Tufts University	7.89
15	George Washington University	5.26
16	American University	3.95
16	Duke University	3.95
16	University of Michigan	3.95
19	King's College London	2.63
19	New York University	2.63
19	Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University	2.63
22	Dartmouth College	1.32
22	Sciences Po	1.32
22	University of California, Los Angeles	1.32
22	University of Denver	1.32
22	University of Notre Dame	1.32
22	University of Pennsylvania	1.32
22	University of Texas at Austin	1.32

Best International Relations Schools for PhD Programs for Academics, per Think tank staffers
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Harvard University	77.08
2	Princeton University	55.21
2	Stanford University	55.21
4	Columbia University	46.88
5	Yale University	33.33
6	University of Oxford	25
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	23.96
8	Georgetown University	22.92
9	University of Chicago	19.79
10	Johns Hopkins University	16.67
11	University of California, Berkeley	13.54
12	Tufts University	11.46
13	University of Cambridge	8.33
14	University of California, San Diego	7.29
14	University of Michigan	7.29
16	London School of Economics and Political Science	6.25
17	Sciences Po	5.21
18	George Washington University	4.17
19	Cornell University	3.12
20	American University	2.08
20	Duke University	2.08
20	Ohio State University	2.08
20	University of California, Los Angeles	2.08
24	Australian National University	1.04
24	King's College London	1.04
24	National University of Singapore	1.04
24	New York University	1.04
24	Northwestern University	1.04
24	Pennsylvania State University	1.04
24	University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	1.04
24	University of London	1.04
24	University of Pennsylvania	1.04
24	University of St. Andrews	1.04
24	University of Virginia	1.04
24	University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee	1.04

IR faculty members’ rankings of Ph.D. programs have proved remarkably stable over the years. Between our 2017 survey and our most recent one, no top 15 program has moved more than one spot in either direction; in fact, most held the same rank. Additionally, policymakers and think tank staff appeared to value academic Ph.D. programs located in Washington, D.C., and outside the United States much more than U.S.-based IR scholars did.

Ph.D. Programs for Policymakers

Best International Relations Schools for PhD Programs for Policymakers, per International Relations faculty
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Harvard University	64.27
2	Georgetown University	58.24
3	Princeton University	38.75
4	Johns Hopkins University	36.43
5	Columbia University	35.03
6	Stanford University	23.9
7	George Washington University	23.67
8	Tufts University	20.65
9	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	19.26
10	London School of Economics and Political Science	18.1
11	American University	17.4
12	University of Oxford	15.55
13	University of Chicago	12.3
14	Yale University	11.37
15	University of Cambridge	7.42
16	University of California, San Diego	4.41
17	University of California, Berkeley	4.18
17	University of Michigan	4.18
19	Sciences Po	3.94
20	Geneva Graduate Institute	3.25
21	King's College London	2.55
21	University of Denver	2.55
23	New York University	2.09
24	Duke University	1.86
25	University of Maryland, College Park	1.62
26	Syracuse University	1.39
26	University of Pennsylvania	1.39
28	Cornell University	1.16
28	Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School	1.16
28	George Mason University	1.16
28	University of Pittsburgh	1.16
28	University of Virginia	1.16
33	Ohio State University	0.93
33	University of St. Andrews	0.93
35	National University of Singapore	0.7
35	University of California, Los Angeles	0.7
35	Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University	0.7
35	University of Southern California	0.7
35	University of Texas at Austin	0.7
35	University of Toronto	0.7
41	Carleton University	0.46
41	European University Institute	0.46
41	Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations	0.46
41	Michigan State University	0.46
41	Pennsylvania State University	0.46
41	Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University	0.46
47	Aberystwyth University	0.23
47	Arizona State University	0.23
47	Australian National University	0.23
47	Balsillie School of International Affairs	0.23
47	Barcelona Institute of International Studies	0.23
47	Boston College	0.23
47	Brown University	0.23
47	Charles University	0.23
47	Claremont Graduate University	0.23
47	Corvinus University of Budapest	0.23
47	Dartmouth College	0.23
47	ETH Zurich	0.23
47	Eastern Illinois University	0.23
47	Emory University	0.23
47	Erasmus University Rotterdam	0.23
47	Free University of Berlin	0.23
47	Georgia Institute of Technology	0.23
47	Hertie School of Governance	0.23
47	Jagiellonian University	0.23
47	Leiden University	0.23
47	Lund University	0.23
47	McGill University	0.23
47	Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey	0.23
47	Nanyang Technological University	0.23
47	Naval Postgraduate School	0.23
47	Old Dominion University	0.23
47	Peking University	0.23
47	Queen's University, Canada	0.23
47	The New School	0.23
47	University of Amsterdam	0.23
47	University of Bologna	0.23
47	University of Georgia	0.23
47	University of Mannheim	0.23
47	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	0.23
47	University of North Texas	0.23
47	University of Notre Dame	0.23
47	University of Oslo	0.23
47	University of Ottawa	0.23
47	University of Sussex	0.23
47	University of Washington	0.23
47	University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee	0.23
47	Uppsala University	0.23

Best International Relations Schools for PhD Programs for Policymakers, per Policymakers
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Harvard University	72.92
2	Georgetown University	44.79
2	Princeton University	44.79
4	Stanford University	43.75
5	Johns Hopkins University	33.33
6	Columbia University	26.04
7	Yale University	25
8	University of Oxford	21.88
9	Tufts University	19.79
10	London School of Economics and Political Science	17.71
11	University of Chicago	14.58
12	American University	13.54
13	University of California, Berkeley	9.38
14	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	8.33
15	George Washington University	7.29
16	King's College London	6.25
16	University of Cambridge	6.25
18	University of Michigan	5.21
19	Sciences Po	4.17
20	Duke University	3.12
20	University of Pennsylvania	3.12
22	Northwestern University	2.08
23	Boston University	1.04
23	Florida International University	1.04
23	Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School	1.04
23	Geneva Graduate Institute	1.04
23	George Mason University	1.04
23	Imperial College London	1.04
23	Liberty University	1.04
23	Missouri State University	1.04
23	New York University	1.04
23	Syracuse University	1.04
23	Texas A&M University	1.04
23	Ohio State University	1.04
23	Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University	1.04
23	University of California, San Diego	1.04
23	University of Denver	1.04
23	University of Miami	1.04
23	Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University	1.04
23	University of Sussex	1.04
23	University of Virginia	1.04
23	University of Washington	1.04
23	Wake Forest University	1.04

Best International Relations Schools for PhD Programs for Policymakers, per Think tank staffers
Rank	University Name	Score
1	Harvard University	66.67
2	Georgetown University	49.43
3	Johns Hopkins University	44.83
4	Columbia University	41.38
5	Princeton University	33.33
6	Stanford University	31.03
7	University of Oxford	27.59
8	Tufts University	24.14
9	George Washington University	19.54
10	London School of Economics and Political Science	17.24
11	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	16.09
12	Yale University	13.79
13	American University	9.2
13	University of Chicago	9.2
15	University of Cambridge	8.05
16	King's College London	5.75
17	Sciences Po	4.6

18	University of California, Berkeley	3.45

18	University of California, San Diego	3.45

18	University of London	3.45

21	George Mason University	2.3

21	University College London	2.3

21	University of Notre Dame	2.3

21	University of Texas at Austin	2.3

21	University of Virginia	2.3

26	Central European University	1.15

26	Cornell University	1.15

26	Duke University	1.15

26	European University Institute	1.15

26	Geneva Graduate Institute	1.15

26	Georgia Institute of Technology	1.15

26	Johns Hopkins University, Bologna	1.15

26	National University of Singapore	1.15

26	Northwestern University	1.15

26	University of Denver	1.15

26	University of Iowa	1.15

26	University of Michigan	1.15

26	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	1.15

26	University of Oslo	1.15

26	Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University	1.15

26	University of Southern California	1.15

26	University of Sussex	1.15

26	Wageningen University	1.15

26	William & Mary	1.15

When asked about doctoral students pursuing a policy career, all three groups we surveyed showed a preference for institutions with strong connections to Washington. Schools such as George Washington University, Georgetown University, and American University are ranked higher for students pursuing policy careers than for those hoping to enter academia. Conversely, institutions such as the University of Chicago and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are ranked lower for policy careers than academic ones. This shift highlights the importance of proximity to policy centers and the availability of practical engagement opportunities in shaping perceptions of a program’s value for a policy-oriented career in IR.

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Advice to Prospective Students

Prospective students would do well to explore the specific features of various programs rather than focusing solely on a broad reputational ranking, which tells us little about a program’s regional, functional, or methodological strengths. For example, both academic and policymaker respondents who specialize in international political economy and/or trade policy ranked the London School of Economics master’s program higher than respondents who focus on security policy. Similarly, academics who specialize in the study of Latin America ranked the University of California, Berkeley Ph.D. program higher for an academic career than their non-Latin Americanist colleagues.

Still, prospective students should keep in mind that reputation matters. Although reputation may be an imperfect indicator of quality, it is a strong indicator of perceived quality within the field. A program’s standing can have conscious and unconscious effects on graduate school admissions committees, scholarship committees, and hiring managers in the public, private, and higher education sectors. For this reason, our ranking provides a systematic measure of these perceptions to assist prospective students in making informed choices as they plan for their future.

Gain the Edge: Graduate Programs for Careers Tackling Global Challenges

The ever-evolving field of international relations demands that the next generation of leaders be equipped with the tools that a graduate education provides: a theoretical foundation from which to analyze complex global issues and practical experiences that hone one’s skills. Read how leading schools prepare students to excel in their chosen careers. Learn here.

To learn how your academic institution can be part of the FP Guides, contact Director of Academic Partnerships: Sherri Greeves, sherri.greeves@foreignpolicy.com.

The Top International Relations Schools of 2024, Ranked

An insider’s guide to the world’s best programs—for both policy and academic careers.

Undergraduate Programs

Master’s Programs

Ph.D. Programs for Academics

Ph.D. Programs for Policymakers

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