Which is better for studying political science as an undergraduate: Georgetown or Amherst?

For an undergraduate focused primarily on political science, Georgetown offers the more advantageous overall setting. Its location in Washington, D.C. puts students close to Congress, federal agencies, courts, embassies, policy organizations, campaigns, and major media outlets. Georgetown’s Government Department is also deeply connected to public policy, international affairs, political theory, and empirical political research.

The most consequential difference is access to sustained, in-semester experience. At Georgetown, a student can pair coursework with internships or research roles during the academic year, attend policy events regularly, and build relationships with practitioners while still an undergraduate. That proximity is especially valuable for students considering government, public service, policy analysis, international relations, political journalism, or law.

Amherst provides a superb political science education, particularly for a student who values close faculty mentorship, small discussion-based classes, and a traditional liberal-arts environment. Its open curriculum makes it easy to combine politics with history, economics, philosophy, statistics, languages, or area studies, and the Five College Consortium broadens course options through nearby campuses. Amherst can be an excellent foundation for graduate school because students have substantial room to develop writing, research, and analytical depth.

For future graduate study, either can prepare a strong applicant; the deciding factor is whether you would gain more from D.C.-based opportunities throughout college or from Amherst’s smaller residential academic setting. Given your stated interest in both political science and future work in the field, Georgetown has the clearer edge.