Boston University vs GW for political science: which is better for a student interested in politics and internships?

George Washington University is the better choice for a student focused on politics and internships. Its biggest advantage is location: GW sits in downtown Washington, DC, within reach of Congress, federal agencies, think tanks, advocacy groups, embassies, and national media. For political science students, that means internship access is not an occasional bonus but a central part of the student experience during the semester.

GW’s political science and related programs are built around that ecosystem. Students can realistically take classes and intern part-time at places directly tied to policy and government, which is much harder to match from Boston. The campus culture also skews more politically engaged in a day-to-day way, since so many students are pursuing public affairs, international relations, campaigns, and government work at the same time.

Boston University is still a strong option academically, and it offers a larger, more traditional university feel with solid political science coursework and access to a major city. But Boston’s internship landscape is stronger for areas like healthcare, business, tech, nonprofits, and state or local government than for the national political pipeline specifically. If your priority is studying politics in the abstract, BU can absolutely work; if your priority is being immersed in politics as it is happening, GW has the clearer edge.

Another practical difference is how easy it is to build a resume during the academic year. At GW, students often stack classes with internships, research, policy events, and networking without needing a separate summer in another city.