Tulane or Northwestern for journalism: which is the better choice for an aspiring journalist?

The biggest practical tradeoff is specialized journalism training and industry access at Northwestern versus a more flexible, interdisciplinary path at Tulane. Northwestern has Medill, with a curriculum built specifically around reporting, writing, multimedia, and internships. Tulane can absolutely support a media career, but it does not offer the same level of journalism-specific infrastructure.

At Northwestern, journalism is not just an option tucked inside another department. Medill is a professional school with strong student media, alumni connections, and a clear pipeline into reporting, editing, broadcast, digital media, and related fields. Being near Chicago also matters in a practical way because it expands access to internships, freelance opportunities, and local news experience during the school year.

Tulane’s strengths are different. New Orleans is a fascinating place to learn storytelling, politics, culture, public life, and local reporting, and that can be a real asset for a student who wants rich material to cover. Tulane is also appealing if you want more freedom to combine media interests with political science, public health, environmental studies, business, or another field before deciding exactly what kind of journalism you want to pursue.

For a student who already knows journalism is the goal, Northwestern is the more powerful option. It offers a clearer training path, a stronger journalism brand, and more direct professional preparation. Tulane is appealing for students who want a broader liberal arts experience and may build toward media through campus publications, internships, and related majors, but for an aspiring journalist choosing between these two specifically, Northwestern has the edge.