Arizona State vs Fordham for journalism: which is better for undergrad journalism opportunities?

Arizona State has the edge for undergraduate journalism opportunities. ASU’s Cronkite School is one of the most established journalism programs in the country, and it is built around hands-on reporting from the start through student newsrooms, specialty reporting labs, and structured professional experiences. For a student focused on graduating with clips, multimedia work, and real newsroom practice, ASU usually offers more depth and scale.

One big differentiator is the program itself. Cronkite is a standalone journalism school with a wide range of undergraduate tracks in areas like broadcast, digital, sports, investigative, and photojournalism, plus student media that feeds directly into portfolio-building. The school is known for creating a very professional environment for undergrads rather than treating journalism as a smaller department within a broader communications setup.

Another is access to practical experience during the school year. ASU students can work in Cronkite’s reporting bureaus, cover politics and community issues, and produce publishable work while taking classes. That kind of built-in structure matters because it makes it easier to leave college with substantial reporting experience instead of just class projects.

Fordham does offer real advantages, especially its New York City location. Being in NYC can help with internships, networking, and exposure to major media organizations, and Fordham students can build strong experience if they are proactive. But Fordham is not as singularly centered on journalism training as ASU, so the opportunities can feel more dependent on the student piecing them together.

For undergrad journalism specifically, ASU is the more opportunity-rich option because the journalism infrastructure is stronger, larger, and more intentionally designed around early professional work.