Is the University of Maryland or Boston University better for a communications major?

For communications specifically, Boston University usually has the clearer edge in overall reputation, media access, and internship proximity. BU’s College of Communication is one of the school’s signature units, and being in Boston puts students close to news, PR, advertising, film, and nonprofit organizations during the school year. If you want a campus where communications feels central and professionally connected from the start, BU is often the more compelling option.

BU tends to fit students who want a city-based experience and expect internships to be part of their regular semester, not just a summer plan. The program is well known across journalism, advertising, public relations, film and television, and media studies, so it works especially well for someone who wants to explore the broader communications world before locking into one lane. That location matters because access to real employers can shape your resume early.

Maryland makes more sense for a student who is interested in communications but may also want a bigger public university setting, more campus breadth, and strong access to Washington, DC. UMD’s communication-related offerings are solid, and the DC area creates real opportunities in public affairs, political communication, government-adjacent media, advocacy, and internships tied to large institutions. For someone drawn to strategic communication in a policy or public-sector environment, Maryland can be especially attractive.

The biggest practical difference is that BU feels more directly built around media and communications industries, while Maryland often appeals more to students who want communications within a broader flagship-university experience. For cost-conscious students, students who want a traditional Big Ten-style campus, or students who may lean toward DC-facing communication work, Maryland can be the smarter pick.