Washington, District of Columbia · Private Non-Profit
International Relations and National Security Studies at American University
Use this school-and-field page as a fit screen, not a department ranking. It combines the 16.6% reported program-share signal, $41,943 school-wide net price, and $77,370 school-wide ten-year earnings before you compare peer schools. The enrollment proxy is about 1,208 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
Program snapshot
16.6% reported share makes this a large program signal in federal data.
This major
- Program signal
- 16.6%
- Enrollment proxy
- ~1,208
- Schools with reported signal
- 366
Admissions
- Acceptance rate (school)
- 62%
- Graduation rate
- 75.5%
Cost
- Avg net price (school)
- $41,943/yr
- 4-year cost (est.)
- $167,772
- Median debt
- $22,750
Outcomes
- Median earnings 10y
- $77,370/yr
- ROI grade (school)
- D
College Scorecard reports school-wide earnings and price, not per-major outcomes for individual colleges. Program share is a concentration signal, not a promise of department quality. Use it as a proxy, then verify department-level outcomes with the school.
Evidence used here: federal program-share data (16.6%), school-wide average net price ($41,943), school-wide ten-year median earnings ($77,370), and peer averages from 366 schools reporting a positive signal in this field. Evidence not included: department-level salary, placement rate, course quality, licensure eligibility, certification, or exam pass-rate outcomes.
Value among peer schools
Compared with 366 schools that report this field.
The answer is a value-screen grade of D, not a verified department verdict. The reported share is 13.8x the national average concentration; the school-wide net price is higher than the peer average ($19,588 above), and ten-year median earnings are higher than the peer average ($13,911 above). Together, those evidence points place American University in the top 94% ROI position within this field set.
See the national program hub →Comparable programs
Peer schools below also report a positive program-share signal and are sorted by value grade.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY · 0.5% reported share · $3,033 net A+ CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY · 0.7% reported share · $3,203 net A+ CUNY City College New York, NY · 2.3% reported share · $3,776 net A+ Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA · 0.1% reported share · $2,779 net A+ California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA · 0.4% reported share · $4,564 net A+ University of Florida Gainesville, FL · 0.0% reported share · $6,541 net A+ 
Stanford University Stanford, CA · 1.7% reported share · $13,807 net A+ Utah Valley University Orem, UT · 0.3% reported share · $6,376 net A+ Questions about this program
How big is the program signal?
International Relations and National Security Studies accounts for 16.6% of reported programs at American University, which is bigger than 100% of schools in this field set and 13.8x the national average concentration. The enrollment proxy is about 1,208 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
How should I read the cost number?
American University's average net price is $41,943 per year, about $167,772 over four years. That is $19,588 above the $22,355 peer average, before your own aid package changes the final bill.
Are the earnings major-specific?
No. The $77,370 median earnings figure is school-wide ten years after entry. It is $13,911 above the $63,459 average among schools reporting this field, so treat it as an outcomes proxy rather than a department guarantee.
What should I compare next?
Start with program share, net price after aid, graduation rate, location, and whether the department publishes placement or licensure outcomes. EduGradify ranks American University #343 of 366 schools in this field set by school-wide ROI proxy.