International Relations and National Security Studies at Queens University of Charlotte

A $37,000 starting salary for an International Relations degree—based on what similar programs produce nationally—leaves little cushion when you're carrying $21,500 in debt. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 means nearly three-fifths of a year's salary goes toward loans, making those first years out of college financially tight in a city like Charlotte where living costs have climbed steadily.

The challenge with International Relations programs generally is that the field often requires graduate education or security clearances to access better-paying roles, yet you're already borrowing the national median for this credential. Similar programs across the country show a wide earnings spread—top performers hit $45,400 while many graduates cluster near that $37,000 mark—suggesting outcomes depend heavily on landing competitive positions in government, defense contractors, or international organizations rather than on the degree itself.

For Queens specifically, the uncertainty is real: we're working entirely from national peer data since their graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to report outcomes. That means you're placing a bet not just on the field but on how this particular program positions graduates in regional and national job markets. If your child is committed to this career path, investigate Queens' specific internship pipelines, alumni networks in federal agencies or NGOs, and whether they've placed recent graduates in Charlotte's banking sector (where international business roles might leverage this degree). Without that concrete placement evidence, you're financing an expensive question mark.