International Relations and National Security Studies at University of Southern Mississippi

A $22,000 debt load for first-year earnings around $37,000 puts this program in reasonable territory—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59 is manageable by most standards. However, both figures are estimates derived from national medians across similar programs, since Southern Miss doesn't have enough graduates in this field to generate its own reported outcomes. That's worth noting not as a red flag, but as a reminder that your child would be entering a relatively small program where career paths may be less predictable than at schools with established pipelines.

International relations degrees typically open doors to government, nonprofits, and consulting, but early earnings often depend heavily on location and security clearances. Programs at peer institutions produce first-year salaries ranging from $37,000 to over $45,000, with the higher earners usually landing in DC metro jobs or graduate school-bound roles. Hattiesburg's distance from major policy centers means your child would likely need to relocate for the best opportunities, which adds hidden costs to the calculation.

The modest debt burden gives this program breathing room that many liberal arts degrees don't have. If your child is genuinely interested in security studies and willing to be strategic about internships and networking, this could work—but they'll need to be proactive about building a career path that doesn't automatically emerge from the degree itself.