International Relations and National Security Studies at Juniata College

Drawing on comparable International Relations programs in Pennsylvania, graduates typically start near $49,000—comfortably above the national median of $37,000 for this field. That estimated debt load of roughly $20,000 translates to a manageable 0.41 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning less than half of first-year income would cover the entire balance. For a liberal arts degree at a small Pennsylvania college, these figures suggest reasonable financial footing, though the range among PA schools is dramatic—Bucknell graduates earn nearly $80,000 while others start closer to $36,000.

The challenge is uncertainty. With too few Juniata graduates to generate actual data, you're betting on whether this program performs like the typical Pennsylvania International Relations degree or falls elsewhere on that wide spectrum. Juniata's 72% admission rate and mid-range SAT scores place it in the middle tier of PA colleges, not among the Bucknells or Penns producing the highest earners. The estimated $49,000 may prove optimistic if graduates struggle to land federal security roles or policy positions that justify the degree.

If your child is genuinely interested in national security work and has realistic career plans—government agencies, think tanks, graduate school preparation—the debt-to-earnings picture looks workable based on peer outcomes. But understand you're operating without this program's actual track record, and International Relations degrees live or die by career placement, which small sample sizes often indicate is inconsistent.