International Relations and National Security Studies at Elon University

Four years out, earnings of $57,715 offer some reassurance about this program's trajectory, but the starting point matters just as much. Peer programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $37,000—a figure that would make the estimated $21,500 debt load manageable but not comfortable. That 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio falls within reasonable bounds, though it assumes your child lands typical work in the field immediately after graduation. International relations careers often require graduate degrees or involve competitive entry-level positions in government or nonprofits, which can delay the kind of income growth reflected in that four-year number.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely from estimates—both the debt and starting salary figures come from comparable programs nationally, not from Elon's actual graduates in this major. The four-year earnings figure provides one concrete data point, showing that mid-career outcomes look solid. But without knowing how Elon's specific program performs in placement or whether its graduates face higher or lower debt than the national median, you're making decisions with incomplete information. Given the low Pell enrollment and respectable SAT scores, this is likely attracting students with financial cushion, which may explain why the school can operate this program despite thin graduate numbers.

Request detailed placement data from Elon's career services—specifically where recent graduates landed jobs and whether they needed graduate school to launch their careers. That information matters more than these broad estimates.