George Washington vs. Northeastern for internships: which is better for students?

The biggest practical tradeoff is structured access versus location-driven access. Northeastern builds internships into the student experience through its co-op system, so students get a formal, well-supported path to longer full-time work placements. George Washington gives you daily access to Washington, DC during the regular semester, which is especially valuable for part-time internships in government, policy, nonprofits, media, and international affairs.

If by “easier ways to find them” you mean the school has a built-in system, Northeastern has the clearer advantage. Its co-op model is one of the defining parts of the university, and students work closely with co-op advisors and employer networks that are already used to hiring Northeastern students. That makes internships and work experiences feel less like something you squeeze in on your own and more like something the school expects and helps organize.

GW is strong, but in a different way. Its biggest asset is being in the middle of DC, where students can intern during the semester without needing a special away program or summer relocation. For fields tied to federal agencies, Capitol Hill, think tanks, NGOs, public affairs, and political communication, that access is unusually practical. A GW student can often combine classes and a part-time internship more easily simply because the opportunities are nearby.

The main limitation is that GW’s internship culture is not as singularly structured as Northeastern’s co-op system. You can absolutely find excellent internships there, and many students do, but it may require more self-direction, networking, and initiative. Northeastern tends to make experiential learning more systematic across majors, while GW’s edge is strongest in DC-centered careers.

So for internships alone, Northeastern usually offers the more reliable and supported overall framework for undergrads. GW becomes very compelling when your interests are specifically tied to the kinds of organizations concentrated in Washington and you want to intern during the academic year on a regular basis.