Should I choose Arizona State or Tulane for political science?

The biggest practical tradeoff is scale versus setting: Arizona State gives you a very large university with a broad menu of political science courses, research centers, and policy connections in the Phoenix area, while Tulane offers a smaller, more intimate environment in New Orleans with a strong civic engagement culture and unusual access to local politics. For political science specifically, ASU benefits from being a major public research university with substantial faculty breadth and ties to state government, public policy, and law. Tulane stands out for close professor access, a seminar-heavy feel, and a city that makes politics, public service, and community issues very visible day to day.

At ASU, one advantage is sheer infrastructure. A big university can make it easier to find specialized classes in areas like American politics, public policy, international affairs, data-driven political analysis, or pre-law pathways. Phoenix also matters here: being in a large state capital region can create more internship possibilities tied to government, campaigns, nonprofits, and advocacy work.

Tulane’s edge is that political science can feel more personal and more embedded in the city around you. New Orleans gives the subject a very lived-in quality, especially if you are interested in urban policy, race and politics, public service, disaster policy, or community-based work. Tulane also has a longstanding emphasis on service and civic engagement, which can pair naturally with political science if you want your academic work connected to real local institutions.

For college experience overall, these schools can feel quite different. ASU is bigger, more spread out, and likely to offer more variety in student life, majors, and campus pathways. Tulane is smaller, more residential in feel, and tends to create tighter academic relationships faster.

If your priority is maximum academic breadth, lots of institutional resources, and policy opportunities in a major metro area, ASU has a strong case. If you want political science to feel closer, more discussion-driven, and more rooted in a distinctive city with strong civic character, Tulane is the more compelling option. For political science alone, I would give Tulane a slight edge for the undergraduate experience, but ASU may be the smarter pick if cost is meaningfully lower or if you want the scale and flexibility of a large research university.