Which is better for undergraduate economics, Brandeis or NYU?

For a student who wants economics embedded in New York City, broad course selection, and easy access to internships during the academic year, NYU is likely the more compelling undergraduate option. Its Economics Department in the College of Arts and Science is large and research-active, and students can draw on the city’s finance, policy, media, and nonprofit ecosystems. It is important to distinguish NYU economics from Stern: an economics major in CAS is not the same program as a Stern business degree, though CAS students can still pursue quantitatively oriented economics and relevant electives.

Brandeis suits a student who wants a smaller, more personal economics education within a liberal-arts environment. The department has a strong academic reputation, opportunities for close faculty relationships, and an interdisciplinary campus culture that can work especially well for someone combining economics with politics, international and global studies, mathematics, computer science, or social policy. Its smaller scale can make it easier to become known by professors, pursue research, and build a cohesive academic community.

NYU offers greater scale and a distinctly urban professional network, but requires more initiative to create a close-knit academic experience. Brandeis offers more built-in faculty access and campus community, while Boston-area internships are available but less woven into daily life than at NYU. For economics aimed toward finance, consulting, policy, or industry internships in a major city, NYU has a meaningful edge. For economics as a rigorous liberal-arts discipline with closer mentorship, Brandeis is an excellent fit.