Harvard or Georgetown for international relations: which is better for undergrad?

Georgetown has the edge for undergraduate international relations. Its School of Foreign Service is one of the most established and recognizable places in the country for IR, and the program is built specifically around diplomacy, foreign policy, regional studies, economics, history, and languages from the start of college. It also benefits from being in Washington, DC, where internships, policy events, embassies, think tanks, and government connections are part of everyday student life rather than occasional opportunities.

The biggest difference is how central international relations is to each school’s undergraduate identity. At Georgetown, IR is not just a strong major inside a broad liberal arts college; it is one of the institution’s defining strengths, with a large concentration of students, faculty, alumni, and recruiting pipelines tied directly to diplomacy, security, development, and public policy. That gives undergrads a clearer professional ecosystem around the field.

Location matters a lot here. Georgetown students can more easily intern during the semester with organizations tied to foreign affairs, attend talks by diplomats and policymakers, and build DC-specific experience before graduation. For a student who wants international relations in a practical, career-connected setting, that access is a real advantage.

Harvard is still outstanding, and its overall global reputation is broader and arguably unmatched. It offers excellent government, history, economics, language, and regional studies resources, plus high-level faculty and research opportunities. But for undergraduate international relations specifically, Harvard does not have the same singular, purpose-built IR identity that Georgetown has through the School of Foreign Service.