International Relations and National Security Studies at Knox College

Based on peer programs across Illinois, International Relations graduates typically start around $38,000—squarely in line with the national median for this major. The estimated debt load of roughly $21,000 translates to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, meaning monthly loan payments would claim about 5% of gross income on a standard repayment plan. By year four, when earnings reach nearly $50,000, the financial picture improves considerably.

The challenge with Knox's program is that we're working entirely with estimates derived from similar Illinois schools, since graduate cohorts have been too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. This means we can't verify whether Knox's graduates match, exceed, or fall short of these state averages. For context, Northwestern's International Relations program produces double these starting salaries, while programs at DePaul and Loyola come in slightly below the state median—illustrating how much institutional differences matter in this field.

If your child is drawn to this specific liberal arts environment and the debt estimate holds true, the numbers suggest a workable starting point rather than a standout financial opportunity. The real question is whether Knox's smaller cohorts reflect limited career services resources or simply a specialized program with strong placement rates we can't see in the data. Request concrete information from Knox about recent graduate employment outcomes and networking opportunities before committing.