Georgetown McDonough vs. WashU Olin: Which undergraduate business program is a better fit?

Georgetown McDonough tends to fit students who want business education embedded in Washington, D.C.’s political, international, and policy-oriented environment. Its location makes semester-time internships especially practical in consulting, finance, government-adjacent organizations, nonprofits, public affairs, and international business. McDonough also combines its business curriculum with Georgetown’s Jesuit liberal-arts core, so students who enjoy writing, ethics, history, and policy alongside accounting and finance often find the experience particularly rewarding. Georgetown’s broader reputation is especially useful for students exploring the intersection of business with law, diplomacy, public policy, or global affairs.

WashU Olin may appeal more to a student who wants a highly collaborative private-university setting with strong analytical business training and flexibility to explore across disciplines. Olin students can pair business with fields elsewhere at WashU, and the school emphasizes experiential learning, team projects, and practical problem-solving. The St. Louis setting offers access to regional companies, startups, and civic organizations, while Olin’s career reach extends well beyond the Midwest through alumni and employer recruiting.

Olin can be an especially appealing environment for students interested in consulting, finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, operations, or data-informed business decisions who prefer a more residential campus community. Its smaller-scale feel relative to a large city can make it easier to build close relationships with classmates and faculty, though students may need to be more intentional about pursuing internships outside the academic year than they would in D.C.