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International Relations at San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree · International Relations and National Security Studies
60 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
65
Optimistic
60
Base Case
52
Pessimistic
Earnings $35,361/yr (-11% vs median)
AI Risk High (47% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (108,800 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to International Relations graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $805K $436K $259K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 24.3x 13.2x 7.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 10.0x 5.4x 3.2x
Viable Career Paths 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3
DegreeWorth Score 65 60 52

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$33,160
Out-of-state: $80,680
Median Debt at Graduation
$15,124
5.1 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$67,020
90% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where International Relations graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 108,800 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Political scientists $139,380 500 -3.1% 48%
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
Political science teachers, postsecondary $94,680 1,600 +2.0% 48%

Compare & Explore

International Relations at Other Schools

Bucknell University ($77,312) Stanford University ($76,166) Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey ($68,344) Middlebury College ($68,344) University of Pennsylvania ($65,559) Lafayette College ($58,433) Northwestern University ($58,326) Tufts University ($54,079)

Other Majors at San Diego State University

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($100,221) Construction Engineering Technologies ($81,608) Computer Engineering ($76,812) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($75,061) Computer Science ($74,523) Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering ($74,375) Civil Engineering ($73,584) Mechanical Engineering ($69,754)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for International Relations at San Diego State University?
This program scores 60/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 65 (optimistic) to 52 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect International Relations career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, International Relations graduates retain 3 of 3 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $258,934 (pessimistic) to $804,900 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for International Relations graduates?
The career paths mapped to International Relations have roughly 108,800 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is International Relations at San Diego State University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 13.2x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 7.8x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.