Colgate vs Tufts for international relations: which is better for an IR major?

Tufts has the edge for international relations. Its IR strength is unusually visible at the undergraduate level because the field is deeply tied to the Fletcher School, the university’s graduate school of international affairs, and the campus culture leans heavily toward politics, diplomacy, languages, and global policy. Students interested in world affairs tend to find a larger built-in community there, along with more course depth and more events centered on international issues.

One major differentiator is academic infrastructure. At Tufts, international relations is not just a solid major inside a liberal arts setting; it is part of a university ecosystem where global affairs is one of the institution’s defining academic identities. That usually translates into broader offerings in regional studies, foreign policy, political economy, and language study, plus easier access to faculty and programming connected to international work.

Another difference is the surrounding environment. Tufts benefits from being in the Boston area, which gives students more regular access to internships, guest speakers, policy organizations, consulates, and internationally focused nonprofits during the school year. For an IR student, that kind of nearby professional access can matter a lot because the field often rewards early experience as much as classroom study.

Colgate is still a strong and respected option, especially if you want a more intimate liberal arts college experience with close faculty relationships and a beautiful residential campus. But for IR specifically, it does not have quite the same institutional concentration in global affairs that Tufts does.