American University vs NYU for international relations: which is better for an IR major?

American University has the clearer edge for an international relations major. Its School of International Service is one of the university’s central academic pillars, and AU’s location in Washington, DC puts IR students close to embassies, think tanks, NGOs, and federal agencies in a way that directly shapes coursework, internships, and networking.

At American, IR is not just one strong option among many. It is one of the school’s signature fields, so students tend to find more concentration-specific advising, a larger peer community focused on diplomacy and policy, and a campus culture where global affairs are front and center. That matters if you want your classes, student organizations, and recruiting conversations to consistently orbit international policy work.

The biggest practical difference is access to relevant experience during the semester. In DC, it is much easier to pair classes with internships at places connected to foreign policy and international development, and AU is built around that rhythm. For IR, that kind of steady hands-on exposure can be more valuable than a broader city advantage.

NYU is absolutely strong, especially if you want a more sprawling global university setting and the flexibility to connect IR with economics, business, law, media, or area studies. It has excellent international opportunities and serious academic resources, but IR is less of the defining center of the undergraduate experience there than it is at American.