International Relations and National Security Studies at Swarthmore College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 looks manageable on paper, but the story gets more complicated when you realize these figures come from six other Pennsylvania programs—not Swarthmore's own graduates. For a school with a 7% acceptance rate and average SATs above 1500, we'd typically expect earnings well above the state median, more in line with what Bucknell ($77,312) and Penn ($65,559) report for this major. The estimated $49,032 reflects what average programs produce, not what Swarthmore's highly selective student body typically achieves in the job market.

That gap matters because International Relations graduates from elite schools often enter competitive career tracks—think policy analysis, consulting, international organizations—where institutional prestige and alumni networks significantly influence outcomes. The $20,125 estimated debt is relatively modest and suggests reasonable borrowing, but without seeing Swarthmore's actual placement data, you're essentially betting that their graduates' earning power will exceed what these baseline figures suggest. The national benchmarks ($37,198 median) confirm this field generally starts low, making school prestige potentially more consequential.

Before committing, ask Swarthmore's career services for concrete outcomes: where do their International Relations graduates land in year one, and what do they actually earn? The institutional quality suggests strong results, but you need those specifics to justify choosing this program over alternatives with transparent data.