International Relations and National Security Studies at Old Dominion University

Old Dominion's International Relations program produces first-year earnings nearly $11,000 below Virginia's median for this field—placing it in just the 25th percentile statewide. When every other major IR program in Virginia clusters around $44,000-$47,000, ODU's $33,581 stands out as significantly lower. While earnings do grow 25% to reach $42,000 by year four, graduates are still trailing their in-state peers by roughly $3,000 annually. For Virginia families, this represents a meaningful earnings gap that persists even as careers develop.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $25,750, it's manageable and creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77—reasonable for a social science degree. The program keeps costs lower than competitors like UVA or William & Mary, which matters for the 37% of ODU students receiving Pell grants. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked) means these numbers could shift considerably with more data.

For families prioritizing affordability and access, ODU delivers a functional degree at a reasonable cost. But parents should recognize their child will likely start their career earning substantially less than peers from other Virginia public universities, even accounting for ODU's lower admission selectivity. If your student is considering graduate school or government work where credentials from more competitive programs matter, exploring other options makes sense.