Is Georgetown or William & Mary better for studying history?

For political and American history, Georgetown is the more compelling choice if you want to study history alongside contemporary politics in Washington, D.C. Its location makes internships and primary-source work at institutions such as the Library of Congress, National Archives, museums, think tanks, and federal agencies unusually accessible during the academic year. Georgetown also makes it easy to pair a History major with Government, American Studies, journalism, or foreign service-oriented coursework.

A Georgetown student who is especially interested in the presidency, Congress, civil rights policy, diplomacy, elections, or the relationship between historical events and current public affairs would have a great deal to use beyond the classroom. The campus culture is politically engaged, and the university’s D.C. setting can turn an interest in American political history into regular exposure to public policy and national institutions.

William & Mary may appeal more to a student who wants a deeply undergraduate-centered history education and is drawn to early America, colonial history, the founding era, and the history of Virginia and the Atlantic world. Williamsburg itself is an exceptional setting for that work: Colonial Williamsburg, nearby historic sites, and the university’s long historical connection to the region give the subject a distinctive sense of place. William & Mary also has strong ties to the scholarly world of early American history, including the Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture.

For a student whose interests center on American political history after the founding era, Georgetown’s D.C. access and interdisciplinary political environment likely create more day-to-day opportunities. For someone fascinated by the colonial and Revolutionary periods, archival research, and learning history in a smaller, tradition-rich undergraduate environment, William & Mary has a particularly distinctive advantage.