Which is better for internships: Rutgers or George Washington University?

The biggest practical tradeoff is direct location access versus scale and breadth. George Washington puts you in downtown Washington, DC, where students can reach internships during the semester in government, policy, nonprofits, media, and international affairs without needing a long commute. Rutgers offers access to the New York City and New Jersey job markets, but for many students that means more planning, more travel, and often a heavier focus on summer internships unless you are very intentional.

For semester-time internships and networking, GW usually has the edge. Its DC setting makes part-time work during the school year much more doable, and the university has long-standing ties to federal agencies, think tanks, advocacy groups, political offices, and related employers. That matters because convenience often turns into frequency: more coffee chats, more events, and more chances to build a resume before junior summer.

Rutgers is still very strong, especially if your interests lean toward business, healthcare, pharma, engineering, tech, or industries tied to New Jersey and the NYC area. It is a large public university with a huge alumni network and many employer connections, so motivated students can absolutely land excellent internships. The difference is that Rutgers students often need to be more proactive about transportation, timing, and navigating a bigger campus system to turn those regional opportunities into regular semester experiences.

If internships are your top priority in the broadest sense of ease, access, and built-in networking, I would give the advantage to George Washington. Rutgers becomes more compelling when cost is significantly lower or when your target industries line up better with its stronger regional pipelines around New Jersey and New York.