International Relations and National Security Studies at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

This program comes with an important caveat: we're looking at fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could shift significantly year to year. With that said, the pattern here shows graduates earning slightly below both national and Wisconsin medians for international relations programs. At $36,726 one year out, these graduates are making about $3,300 less than the typical Wisconsin graduate in this field and trail programs like Marquette by nearly $7,000. Among Wisconsin's nine programs, this ranks in the 40th percentile—solidly below average for the state.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $25,450, graduates carry more debt than the national median but less than Wisconsin's typical burden for this major. The 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio means students are borrowing about eight months' worth of first-year salary—manageable compared to many liberal arts programs. The relatively low debt load (14th percentile nationally) helps offset the below-average earnings.

For families considering this program, the small sample size makes it risky to draw firm conclusions. If your student is choosing between UW-Oshkosh and other Wisconsin options purely on financial grounds, the data suggests looking elsewhere. However, international relations is a field where graduate school and federal employment pathways matter significantly, and initial earnings don't tell the whole story. Just don't expect this program to outperform state alternatives based on the limited data available.