International Relations and National Security Studies at Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon's prestige doesn't automatically translate to strong early earnings in international relations—at least not based on what similar Pennsylvania programs suggest. With first-year earnings around $49,000 and debt near $20,000, this program appears to track right at Pennsylvania's median for this field, which seems underwhelming given CMU's 11% admission rate and stellar SAT scores. For context, Bucknell's IR graduates earn $77,000 their first year, and Penn's earn $66,000—these peer institutions demonstrate what's possible at elite schools in this state.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 is manageable, and the estimated $20,000 debt load won't crush most graduates. But the real question is opportunity cost: your child could likely gain admission to several programs where comparable credentials lead to significantly higher initial salaries. CMU's strength lies in technology and analytics—if your student isn't planning to leverage those advantages (perhaps through a double major or technical minor), they might not be tapping into what makes this school worth its competitive admissions.

The earnings estimates here come from six Pennsylvania programs, so there's considerable uncertainty about CMU's specific outcomes. If this program feeds into specialized government or defense roles where long-term prospects outweigh starting salaries, that changes the calculus entirely. Before committing, find out where CMU's IR graduates actually land and whether those pathways justify choosing this over demonstrably stronger-earning programs at comparable institutions.