George Washington University or Fordham for communications: which is better for a communications major?

The biggest practical tradeoff is Washington, DC versus New York City, because for communications majors that often shapes the kind of internships, networking, and media exposure you get week to week. George Washington tends to be especially well positioned for public affairs, political communication, strategic communication, and PR tied to government, nonprofits, and advocacy. Fordham benefits from being in New York, which can be a major advantage for media, advertising, journalism-adjacent work, and communications roles tied to corporate, entertainment, and publishing spaces.

If your interests lean most toward public relations with a policy, political, or institutional angle, GW usually has the clearer edge. Its DC location creates unusually direct access to agencies, think tanks, associations, campaigns, and national nonprofits, which matters a lot in communications because so much career building happens through internships during the school year.

Fordham is very compelling if your idea of communications is more tied to New York media and brand-facing industries. Being in NYC can make part-time internships during the semester easier to find across media companies, agencies, and corporate communications teams, and Fordham students can tap into a large alumni base in the city. For students who want communications adjacent to marketing, entertainment, digital media, or business environments, that ecosystem can be very useful.

On the academics side, neither choice is weak, but they are strongest in slightly different lanes. GW often stands out more for strategic communication and communication connected to politics and public life. Fordham can feel stronger for students who want a classic urban college experience with access to New York media networks and a broad liberal arts foundation.

If the question is which is better specifically for communications in the areas you named, I’d give GW the slight advantage overall, especially because you mentioned public relations and career opportunities. Fordham becomes the more compelling pick if your version of communications is centered less on DC-style PR and more on New York media, branding, and corporate internship access.