William & Mary vs Boston University for journalism: which is the better choice?

The biggest practical tradeoff is specialization versus flexibility. Boston University offers a direct, well-developed journalism path through its College of Communication, with a strong concentration of student media, reporting courses, and internship access in a major media city. William & Mary is a respected university with strong writing and liberal arts training, but it does not have the same built-out journalism infrastructure or industry pipeline.

For journalism specifically, BU is more clearly viewed as the stronger option. Its journalism program is an established part of the school’s identity, and being in Boston makes it easier to build clips, intern during the school year, and connect with alumni in news, media, and communications. That kind of proximity matters because journalism hiring often depends on experience and relationships as much as coursework.

William & Mary can still work if you want a broader academic foundation and are open to reaching journalism through English, government, media-related extracurriculars, or internship hustle. It has a strong academic reputation and can prepare students well for reporting, especially in areas like politics, public policy, or long-form writing. But compared with BU, the path is less direct, and you would likely need to be more proactive about creating journalism-specific opportunities.

The campus experience is also pretty different in a way that affects journalism training. BU feels more urban, professional, and career-connected from day one, while William & Mary is more traditional, close-knit, and rooted in a classic liberal arts environment. For a field where volume of practice matters, BU’s setup usually gives students more immediate reps.

If your main goal is journalism itself, not just strong writing or communications broadly, Boston University is the better choice. William & Mary makes more sense if you want the option to explore beyond journalism and would be happy building your own route into the field rather than stepping into a program already designed for it.