Is Cornell or American better for political science majors?

The biggest practical tradeoff is Cornell’s broader academic strength and campus resources versus American’s day-to-day access to Washington, D.C. politics. For political science specifically, Cornell offers a very strong department, nationally respected faculty, and the advantages of an Ivy-level research university. American’s edge is location: being in D.C. makes internships, policy events, campaign work, and agency or nonprofit exposure much easier to build into your undergraduate routine.

In the classroom, Cornell is likely the stronger pure academic option. Its political science program is well regarded, and you would be studying in a university with exceptional strength across government, economics, history, public policy, and quantitative methods, which matters if your interests become more specialized. Cornell can also open very broad doors beyond politics, which is useful if you later pivot toward law, consulting, academia, or policy analysis.

American is especially compelling if you want politics to feel immediate and applied from the start. The school has long been tied to public affairs, and undergrads often benefit from nearby internships during the semester rather than only in summers. For a student who learns best by combining coursework with real-time political work, that access is not a small advantage.

One thing that matters here is how you define “better.” If you mean the strongest undergraduate education in political science itself, Cornell has the edge. If you mean the place where political science is most embedded in daily professional opportunities and D.C. networks, American becomes very attractive.

My view is that Cornell is the better choice for most students deciding strictly on undergraduate political science quality, unless you already know that frequent in-semester internships and constant D.C. involvement are central to what you want from college.