Which is better for studying international relations as an undergraduate: Duke or Columbia?

For an undergraduate aiming at diplomacy or international policy, Columbia has a modest edge because its New York City setting creates unusually direct access to the United Nations, consulates, international NGOs, policy organizations, and public events. Columbia’s political science major allows focused study in international relations, while its many regional institutes and global-affairs programming can make it easier to connect coursework to current international issues.

Columbia also benefits from having the School of International and Public Affairs on campus. SIPA is primarily a graduate school, so it should not be treated as an undergraduate IR major, but its presence brings policy practitioners, speakers, research activity, and a professional international-affairs culture that can be valuable to an undergraduate. The city can make internships during the academic year more feasible than at a residential campus.

Duke offers excellent preparation, particularly for students who want to pair international affairs with political science, public policy, area studies, economics, or languages. Duke’s campus-based environment can also make faculty relationships, research involvement, and a cohesive undergraduate experience easier to build.

The practical difference is that Columbia places international institutions and policy networks close to daily student life, while Duke provides a more traditional residential education with strong policy resources and structured pathways into Washington. For a student already drawn to diplomacy and international-policy internships, Columbia’s location and ecosystem are especially hard to match.