George Washington University or Boston University for communications: which is better for communication majors?

The biggest practical tradeoff is location: GW puts you in Washington, DC, with unusually direct access to politics, policy, nonprofits, advocacy, and national media, while BU gives you a larger, more established communications school in Boston with strong training across journalism, media, public relations, advertising, film, and mass communication. For communications specifically, BU is often seen as having the more defined and nationally visible communications infrastructure because its College of Communication is a major academic hub, not just one part of a broader university. GW is still very strong, but its edge is the way DC can shape your internships and professional network while you are in school.

On coursework, BU tends to offer more depth within communications itself. Its communications programs are closely tied to journalism, PR, advertising, media production, and film/TV, so students who want a broad but professionally structured communications education often find more options there. GW’s relevant programs are solid, especially if your interests lean toward political communication, public affairs messaging, strategic communication, or media connected to government and international issues.

For internships, GW has a real advantage if you want semester-long work during the school year. Being in DC makes it easier to intern with federal agencies, think tanks, advocacy groups, campaigns, trade associations, and national news organizations without leaving campus life behind. BU also benefits from a major city and strong employer connections, but Boston’s communications opportunities tend to be less uniquely concentrated in politics and national public affairs.

In reputation, BU usually carries more immediate name recognition specifically for communications as an academic field because COM is such a visible part of the university. GW’s reputation is strongest when communications overlaps with politics, international affairs, public policy, or institutional messaging.

If the question is which school is stronger for communication majors in the broadest sense, I’d give BU the edge. If your version of communications is tied to DC-facing internships, political media, public affairs, or strategic messaging around government and nonprofits, GW can be the more valuable choice in practice.