International Relations and National Security Studies at Saint Louis University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 is quite manageable for a bachelor's degree, and that's the starting point for evaluating this program. Based on comparable International Relations programs nationally, graduates might expect around $37,000 in first-year earnings against roughly $21,500 in debt—that's well under the rule-of-thumb threshold of 1.0 where debt becomes burdensome. The four-year earnings figure of $48,668 shows meaningful salary progression, suggesting the field rewards experience.

The challenge here is that these are national estimates, not Saint Louis University's actual outcomes, so there's inherent uncertainty about how this specific program performs. International Relations is a field where outcomes vary dramatically based on whether graduates land federal positions, nonprofit roles, or pivot to adjacent careers in business or consulting. The school's solid admissions profile (SAT of 1326) and location in a mid-size city with federal presence could be advantages, but without reported data, you're making an educated guess about career placement and network strength.

For an anxious parent, the estimated numbers suggest reasonable risk if your student is genuinely committed to this field and understands that International Relations often requires graduate study or strategic internships to reach competitive salary levels. The debt burden appears light enough to preserve graduate school options, which matters in a field where many professionals eventually pursue master's degrees to advance.