Ranking
Best International Relations and National Security Studies Colleges in California 2026
Stanford University leads this ROI ranking with an A+ value grade and a 22.47 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 22 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.
22 eligible California colleges reporting awards in International Relations and National Security Studies, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.
- Schools ranked
- 22
- Cheapest net price
- $6,642
- Top earnings 10y
- $124,080
- Public / Private
- 9 / 13
Stanford University
A+- ROI proxy
- 22.47
- Net price
- $13,807
- Earnings 10y
- $124,080
- Acceptance
- 3.6%
De Anza College
A+- ROI proxy
- 21.30
- Net price
- $6,642
- Earnings 10y
- $56,596
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of California-San Diego
A+- ROI proxy
- 17.03
- Net price
- $12,470
- Earnings 10y
- $84,943
- Acceptance
- 26.7%
San Francisco State University
A- ROI proxy
- 13.86
- Net price
- $12,278
- Earnings 10y
- $68,077
- Acceptance
- 96.4%
University of California-Davis
A- ROI proxy
- 13.71
- Net price
- $14,741
- Earnings 10y
- $80,838
- Acceptance
- 41.8%
American River College
A- ROI proxy
- 12.55
- Net price
- $7,999
- Earnings 10y
- $40,162
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of California-Riverside
A- ROI proxy
- 11.83
- Net price
- $14,304
- Earnings 10y
- $67,699
- Acceptance
- 76.4%
California State University-Chico
A- ROI proxy
- 11.08
- Net price
- $14,480
- Earnings 10y
- $64,172
- Acceptance
- 92.7%
San Diego State University
B- ROI proxy
- 10.56
- Net price
- $15,364
- Earnings 10y
- $64,909
- Acceptance
- 36.2%
Santa Barbara City College
B- ROI proxy
- 10.53
- Net price
- $11,315
- Earnings 10y
- $47,647
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Pomona College
B- ROI proxy
- 10.08
- Net price
- $19,285
- Earnings 10y
- $77,779
- Acceptance
- 7.1%
Claremont McKenna College
B- ROI proxy
- 9.08
- Net price
- $28,849
- Earnings 10y
- $104,736
- Acceptance
- 9.6%
University of La Verne
B- ROI proxy
- 8.12
- Net price
- $20,161
- Earnings 10y
- $65,464
- Acceptance
- 71.2%
University of the Pacific
B- ROI proxy
- 7.71
- Net price
- $25,447
- Earnings 10y
- $78,445
- Acceptance
- 71.3%
Azusa Pacific University
B- ROI proxy
- 7.50
- Net price
- $22,212
- Earnings 10y
- $66,677
- Acceptance
- 88.4%
University of San Diego
C- ROI proxy
- 7.12
- Net price
- $30,365
- Earnings 10y
- $86,522
- Acceptance
- 52.4%
University of Southern California
C- ROI proxy
- 7.06
- Net price
- $32,740
- Earnings 10y
- $92,498
- Acceptance
- 9.8%
University of Redlands
C- ROI proxy
- 6.05
- Net price
- $30,031
- Earnings 10y
- $72,690
- Acceptance
- 82.7%
California Lutheran University
C- ROI proxy
- 5.71
- Net price
- $30,109
- Earnings 10y
- $68,712
- Acceptance
- 75.7%
University of San Francisco
C- ROI proxy
- 5.42
- Net price
- $41,431
- Earnings 10y
- $89,812
- Acceptance
- 61.7%
Occidental College
D- ROI proxy
- 4.96
- Net price
- $38,263
- Earnings 10y
- $75,951
- Acceptance
- 44.2%
Loyola Marymount University
D- ROI proxy
- 4.05
- Net price
- $48,381
- Earnings 10y
- $78,349
- Acceptance
- 45.1%
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools reporting awards in International Relations and National Security Studies, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 10.35 (9 public, 13 private).
ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.
Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Stanford University in Stanford, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many California colleges are in this list?
22 California colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.
Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?
Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.