International Relations and National Security Studies at Beloit College

A $21,500 debt load for first-year earnings around $37,000 creates a manageable 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio—though both figures come from national patterns rather than Beloit's actual graduate outcomes. Peer programs across the country typically produce first-year salaries in this range for international relations majors, while similar small private colleges report debt burdens near this level. The estimation is necessary here because Beloit's graduate cohort in this major is too small for the Department of Education to publish without risking individual privacy.

What's less certain is whether Beloit matches the stronger Wisconsin performance trends. The state median for international relations programs runs about $3,000 higher than the national figure, with schools like Marquette placing graduates at $43,000. Whether Beloit's liberal arts approach and network deliver Wisconsin-level outcomes or track closer to the national average remains unclear without actual data. For a selective college with a 1318 average SAT, you'd hope for the former.

The practical question is whether you're comfortable with uncertainty around a credential that—even in its best iterations—rarely produces blockbuster starting salaries. If your child needs this specific major and thrives in Beloit's environment, the estimated debt level won't be crushing. But if flexibility exists, programs with published outcomes offer more concrete evidence of what you're actually buying.