Is Florida State or George Washington better for D.C. internships?

George Washington is the clearer advantage for D.C. internships. It is located in Washington itself, students can intern during the academic year without relocating, and the university has long-standing ties to federal agencies, nonprofits, think tanks, and political organizations across the city.

That location piece matters a lot in practice. At GW, students can take classes and work part time in D.C. during the same semester, which makes it much easier to build experience early and turn one internship into another. Being nearby also helps with networking events, informational interviews, and short-notice opportunities that are harder to access from Florida State.

GW also has a stronger built-in D.C. alumni and employer network simply because so many graduates stay in the area and work in government, public policy, international affairs, media, and adjacent fields. For a student who wants to build connections in Washington specifically, that density is valuable in a very direct way.

Florida State can still lead to D.C. internships, especially through its strong political science and government-related pathways, and FSU does have a presence in policy circles through alumni and state government connections. But most of its day-to-day pipeline is centered in Tallahassee and Florida, so getting to Washington usually takes more intentional planning, often through summer internships rather than semester-long ones.

If the question is specifically which school gives you the better shot at finding D.C. internships and building a network there while you are an undergraduate, GW has the more immediate and practical edge.