Northwestern vs. Notre Dame: Which Is Better for an Undergraduate Political Science Major?

For a broadly focused undergraduate political science education, Northwestern has a narrow edge. Its political science department sits within Weinberg College and benefits from a major research-university environment, flexible quarter-system course scheduling, and unusually direct access to Chicago’s political, legal, media, and nonprofit institutions. Northwestern is especially compelling for students who want to combine political science with economics, data science, journalism, international studies, or policy-oriented research.

Northwestern students can pursue internships and field-based opportunities during the academic year without leaving campus, while its Washington, D.C., academic internship program provides another structured route into federal government, advocacy, and public-policy work. The department’s strengths across American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and political methodology also make it easier to explore before settling on a concentration.

Notre Dame offers an excellent, more distinctive alternative for students drawn to political theory, constitutionalism, public service, and the intersection of politics with ethics or religion. Programs such as the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and the Washington Program give political science students meaningful paths to government and service, and Notre Dame’s Catholic intellectual tradition can make classroom discussion particularly rich for students interested in questions of justice, democracy, and moral responsibility.

The main academic tradeoff is atmosphere and structure. Northwestern tends to feel more urban, exploratory, and interdisciplinary, with a faster quarter-system pace. Notre Dame offers a more cohesive undergraduate community and a clearer values-centered framework for studying public life.