Tulane vs. Boston College: Which is better for studying communications?

For communications, Boston College is likely the stronger fit for a student who wants a traditional liberal-arts communications education paired with access to a large Northeast media and business market. Its Communication Department emphasizes the study of media, rhetoric, journalism, and communication’s social effects, while the Boston location puts internships within reach at media outlets, agencies, nonprofits, sports organizations, and corporate communications teams. BC’s alumni presence in the Boston area can also be meaningful when seeking semester or summer opportunities.

Tulane may be more compelling for a student who wants communications shaped by a distinctive city, creative culture, and hands-on community engagement. Its Communication program is grounded in media and cultural analysis, public communication, and digital or production-oriented work, and New Orleans offers unusually rich settings for storytelling, music and festival promotion, tourism, public affairs, local journalism, and nonprofit communications. Tulane’s smaller-scale environment can make it easier to build close relationships with professors and pursue individualized projects.

The internship difference is largely geographic rather than a simple question of availability. Boston College offers easier access to the dense Boston market during the academic year, which is especially useful for students targeting public relations, advertising, corporate communications, journalism, or media business. Tulane’s opportunities may be more locally distinctive and experiential, particularly for students interested in culture, entertainment, civic issues, or place-based reporting and marketing.