International Relations and National Security Studies at SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oneonta's International Relations graduates start at $31,455—roughly $5,000 below both the New York median and national average for this major. That's a notable gap, and while the program falls in the 40th percentile statewide, it ranks in just the 24th percentile nationally. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could swing considerably year to year, but they suggest this program struggles to launch graduates into the kinds of policy, research, or government roles that typically pay better in this field.

The debt picture offers some relief: graduates leave with $17,125, well below state and national medians for IR programs. That translates to a 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio—manageable on paper, though $31,455 represents a tight budget in most of New York. For comparison, Syracuse places its IR graduates at $43,249, while even SUNY Geneseo matches the state median at $36,754.

If your child is committed to international relations specifically, they'll likely need graduate school to advance in this field anyway—making that lower debt load genuinely valuable. But recognize they're starting from a lower earnings baseline than most peers in this major. For families prioritizing immediate post-graduation earnings, exploring other SUNY options or reconsidering the major itself might be worth the conversation.