Is Emory or Columbia better for getting internships in New York City?

Columbia offers substantially stronger access to New York City internships because its Morningside Heights campus is in Manhattan, placing students near employers throughout the city during the academic year. Columbia students can intern part-time during a semester without needing to relocate, and many employers recruit directly through Columbia’s career center, student organizations, and faculty networks. Its alumni presence is especially deep in New York across finance, media, technology, consulting, nonprofits, health care, government, and the arts.

A Columbia student can attend an employer event, conduct an informational interview, or work a few days per week at an internship while remaining fully involved on campus. New York-based firms also commonly hold campus recruiting events and use Columbia-affiliated job and internship platforms, which can make it easier to build professional connections early.

Emory has strong career resources and a respected alumni network, particularly in Atlanta and in fields connected to health care, public health, business, and research. Emory students can certainly secure New York internships, especially for summers, and its undergraduate business school can be a useful resource for business-oriented recruiting. However, most NYC opportunities require more intentional outreach, virtual networking, or a summer move because Emory is based in Atlanta.

For a student whose priority is consistent, semester-by-semester access to New York employers, Columbia’s physical location and local alumni density create a clear practical advantage. Emory remains compelling when Atlanta-based opportunities, health-related fields, or its campus environment are more important than being embedded in the New York professional scene.