International Relations and National Security Studies at Hampden-Sydney College

In Virginia's international relations landscape, this program appears positioned right at the state median for first-year earnings. Based on comparable programs across Virginia, graduates typically earn around $44,600—a figure that sits comfortably above the national median of $37,200 for this field but trails the top-tier outcomes at William & Mary and UVA by a few thousand dollars. The estimated debt load of $21,500 produces a manageable 0.48 ratio to first-year earnings, meaning roughly half a year's salary to pay off.

The challenge with this specific program is that both earnings and debt figures are estimates drawn from peer institutions—the actual graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to publish outcomes. This leaves parents making decisions based on what similar programs typically produce rather than Hampden-Sydney's track record. The school's selectivity (50% admission rate, 1168 average SAT) and limited Pell grant population (22%) suggest a traditional liberal arts environment, but without program-specific data, you're essentially betting that this small program will perform like the Virginia median rather than above or below it.

For a field where career trajectories vary wildly—from entry-level government positions to graduate school to security consulting—that debt-to-earnings ratio provides some cushion. But acknowledge you're working with educated guesses about what this particular program delivers, not evidence of what graduates actually earn.