Which one has a better overall reputation for political science? I was accepted by both and I’m having a hard time deciding between the two.
I know GW is ranked slightly higher than AU by US News, but is GW really held in higher regard than AU?
1 Like
Welcome to the forum!
Be cautious getting an “us vs. them” opinion in forums, as you’ll likely receive very biased opinions. Case in point: I think GW is better than AU with regard to political science. GW held the title of “most politcally active school” for over a decade, I believe, and it’s still fairly high. Further, GWU is synonomous with internships on the Hill. Honestly, you really can’t go wrong studying PoliSci at GW.
1 Like
yeah i’m a northern va native and GW has always been well regarded and known. when i’m NOT in the region and travel (chicago, california, new york), people know what GW is and they know it’s good and regarded as an elite school.
gw has better recruiting, history, and resources (this is objective, not subjective - look at placements and ocr reports - also, gw is known for being a school students who didn’t get into ivies/t20’s go to, so you’ve got a LOT of sleeper talent, gw feed to a lot of t15 masters/grad programs)
au is not known outside of DC, and is very poorly ranked on USNews, which may not mean anything to you - but does to a lot of people, and employers
fo me, it’s a no brainer and i’m not going to GW - i’m at uva
source: me, was accepted to GWU and AU.
Unanimous… As a parent with a son accepted to both, and we did a campus visit to both, GW seems to be a much more traditional and respected university. AU was very interesting, son got into their honors program to graduate in 3 years, but I thought GW was a much more impressive university. We live in NY and people have barely heard of AU here, but they all know GW. That said, he ended up going elsewhere, so what do I know ?
1 Like
@msport “au is not known outside of DC, and is very poorly ranked on USNews, which may not mean anything to you - but does to a lot of people, and employers”
WOW! Talk about a biased misrepresentation! AU is ranked 69 and GW is ranked 56 - that is not a huge difference. Furthermore, Niche ranks AU’s undergrad Political Science department (48) above GW’s (50). Pick a school based on fit not rankings especially when the rankings are not that different.
Also as an HR practitioner, I will tell you that going to GW versus AU will not be deciding factor. It may open a door if someone in the interview process is from one of the schools. Maybe Georgetown would give you an edge at some employers, but honestly, it’s about what you do at the college and how you present yourself as a candidate that makes the difference.
@NHuffer - What publication ranks GW has the most politically active school? Princeton review ranks AU students the 4th most politically active and GW students as 10th.
I hope we can agree that both schools are very politically active.
While I realize there is quite a rivalry between GWU & AU lets at least not misrepresent that facts.
@sahmkc it was the Princeton Review that ranked GW as “most politically active” in the past. I knew we were “de-throned” this year, which is why I said it “held” the record 
@sahmkc GWU is ALWAYS regarded as the prestigious school over AU. Even if AU took the throne ranking wise for one or two years it doesn’t compare when it comes to career placements, on campus recruiting, and postgrad school placement - these are things you can look up yourself and compare if you don’t want to believe me. You mentioned rankings in regards to my statement about GW being known and AU not being known - which has nothing to do with what I said. There’s a prestige/social status factor that plays into a student’s opps at the school they are at (regardless of whether or not we are content with this fact or not) - GW will always take the cake.
at the end of the day, the reason GW is ranked higher is because they’re better in areas where it matters: connections, alumni, recruiting, prestige, etc. are all regarded as better at GW. you’re not comparing harvard to princeton or yale and trying to argue which one is better, GW is better overall in almost every discipline. Especially when it comes to Business & Politics. Sure, AU may have taken the ranking but take a look at the alumni and who is going where and that is more indicative of the opportunities and quality of education/jobs to be had
excuse the sloppy reply, but i think it’s well known that there’s some kind of inferiority complex where AU feels the need to try and compete with GW, the fact is in DC the best two schools are GWU and Georgetown, au will always be in third place for so many reasons.
and don’t even get me started on cost. AU is NEVER worth sticker price, neither is GW - but GW is known for giving wonderful aid and AU is known for screwing students with cost. that’s another bad point for AU
-i was offered $4,500 in federal loans from AU and no merit/grants, bringing my yearly cost to $56,000
-at GWU, i was offered a $36k grant, and maxed out federal loans + work study bringing my yearly cost down to ~20k yearly
this is a common thing and GW is known for being much better with financial aid so i don’t really see any appeal to go to AU besides the fact that it has a real campus culture unlike GW which is just being in the city
also, i don’t disagree with you regarding what matters in college. i broke into f500 corporate m&a from community college, while my friends from high school that are at t20 schools are entering their 3rd year with no internships yet. however, gwu def has recruiters that do NOT recruit on campus at AU
@msport -i was offered $4,500 in federal loans from AU and no merit/grants, bringing my yearly cost to $56,000
-at GWU, i was offered a $36k grant, and maxed out federal loans + work study bringing my yearly cost down to ~20k yearly
I think I see what is coloring your view. I will stick to my original sentiment that AU & GW are fairly equal in terms of Poli-Sci. The rankings back that up, but people should choose a school based on fit. GW will always have better financial outcomes overall when compared to AU that has to do with two factors - GW has an engineering program and more STEM majors and one of AU’s largest post-grad employers is the Peace Corp.
I don’t think AU has an inferiority complex to GWU. The truth is that AU is rising in the ratings and GWU has been going down in the rankings. In fact, they were removed from USNWR ranking all together in 2013 because it was discovered that GWU had been falsifying admissions data that was sent into USNWR for the prior 10 years. They have been falling in the rankings pretty much since being put back in the next year.
My son’s very good friend will be attending GWU in the fall and I couldn’t be happier for him. They gave him a great Financial Aid package that made GWU less than his in-state public options. GWU is an awesome school, so I’m not sure why you feel the need to bash AU and make outrageous claims like your previous “very poorly ranked on USNews” which couldn’t be further from the truth. GWU is not top 20 or even top 50. The category would be top 75 or 100 and both schools fall into that category. I guess if you really wanted to make a deal of it, you could say GWU is to top 60 and AU is top 100. Please don’t try to equate GWU with Gtown - Gtown IS a top 20 school.
GWU > AU is all i’m saying, regardless of aid i would’ve paid 70k to go to GWU over 50k to go to AU
I wouldn’t put AU down so much since it’s still a solid school, but one of the big issues you may find with AU is that it’s location is not as convenient as GW. George Washington is in the middle of Foggy Bottom, so you’re really surrounded by corporate America and have more convenient access to the city. My mom got into all three as a community college transfer and decided to attend George Washington because it was close to her apartment and very accessible.
Now speaking on an academic front, realistically, you can amass many of the same opportunities at AU ad George Washington. However, keep in mind that George Washington has a top 25 law school and the Elliot School of International Affairs. Comparing GWU Elliot to Georgetown SFS is like comparing NYU Stern to Columbia Business School. Both are well regarded but is slightly better and more well known. That being said, the political science department at George Washington still attracts lots of talented students. Many pre-law students at George Washington pick the political science major since it’s one of the most regarded areas of studies offered at George Washington. Since George Washington is situated in the middle of corporate DC, you can imagine that George Washington is a sort of political vanguard for top notch students. And while Georgetown ranked higher, you have to remember there’s still people that got into schools like Duke, UVA, Georgetown, Berkeley but are at GW either because of scholarship money or because it’s easier for them to stand out especially when they’re applying to grad school. In terms of a competitive spectrum, don’t let the rankings on US News and Business fool you. Yes, going test optional and jacking the acceptance rate to generate more income has brought in some weaker students over the years but that still does not attract from the education quality of George Washington.
The opportunities that will be afforded to you at George Washington University through your hard work and tenure as a student certainly make attending it a very attractive choice. Many firms on the Northeast know George Washington University is a strong university with many professors who have daytime jobs and are government workers; yes, there are better schools but overall in the grand scheme of college rankings George Washington University is still quite exceptional. In summary, I would come here over AU because I could never seem myself living in Tenleytown or having to walk far to get groceries at food. Not to mention, George Washington is in the middle of all the action in DC.
I actually liked American’s location and campus MUCH better. GW has no campus - just several tall buildings in the middle of the city. GW’s Mount Vernon campus is quite nice, but it really isn’t as big as the main one. So, if having an actual college campus is important to you, AU might be a better option.
I applied to both - AU and GWU - as a transfer, majoring in International Relations. I got into AU with a very nice $10,000/year merit scholarship. I’m still waiting to hear from GWU… However, from what I’ve heard, AU tends to be more generous when it comes to merit scholarships. To me, those are very important.
Overall, I’d say these schools are similar. As someone already mentioned, Niche ranks AU just slightly higher for Political Science. AU is also ranked higher for International Relations - by Niche and a few other organizations. But that difference is really insignificant.
It is true that (according to US News) GWU’s Law School is ranked much higher overall. However, once again, American’s Law School is ranked higher for International Law specialization. As a matter of fact, US News put American’s Law School as one of the best five for International Law.
Also, keep in mind, although it might appear that GWU graduates are earning more money, there are also certain factors involved. For instance, according to the statistics, more AU graduates choose to work for nonprofits and participate in some service projects. Thus, contributing to the lower potential income.
American also tends to have more study abroad programs, if that’s something you’d be interested in.
After visiting all three (AU, GWU, Georgetown), I figured that American would be my first choice. I liked the atmosphere on AU campus better and the price was much more reasonable. As I’ve mentioned above, I’m still waiting for GW. But unless they offer me a some kind of amazing merit scholarship, I’m pretty much set on AU.
Good luck with your decision!
@Kate0615 American University is pretty good but I would not take specialty law rankings too seriously. Also, I would not say that American University is better for political science. I have many friends who transferred from American because George Washington has the better political science program. The whole taciturn ranking of students in DC is generally Georgetown>GWU>American. GW Law is top 25 law school, but already as it gets a lot of hate on online forms because it’s not a T14. That’s not to say if you’re happier at American that you can’t go there and get very similar opportunities. For business and law, George Washington is better by a long shot than American. Georgetown is a bit better for law and much better for graduate business school. But yes the rankings on US News aren’t entirely reliable; technically, Virginia Tech is ranked higher than American University but nobody really takes that seriously unless we’re talking about Tech Engineering.
@Govegan1995 from what I’ve seen, the experience tends to be somewhat different for everyone. I personally know people who went to AU and loved it, and people who went to GW and hated it - and vice versa. I guess it simply depends on what you’re looking for.
But I wouldn’t say that AU’s Political Science Program is somehow worse than GW’s. In fact, some would even say that AU’s International Relations Program is better than GW’s - primarily, based on a variety of rankings, study abroad opportunities, etc. And as I’ve mentioned, unless you can get good need-based financial aid, AU is likely to be much more affordable.
Although many people do think of it as “AU<GW<GT,” I really haven’t seen it made that big of a difference - at least when it comes to internships and local opportunities. I know several AU students who got some awesome internships GT students didn’t. Your experience, grades, and character matter much more than a school you go to.
Yes, I agree that overall GW’s law school is much better. It is much more respected for sure. And I also agree that oftentimes rankings and flawed and cannot be fully trusted. However, I wouldn’t immediately dismiss AU’s international law program. AU is quite well-known as one of the top 10 international relations graduate schools in the world. I could definitely see how their international law program might be on a somewhat higher level.
I already answered this in the AU forum but thought I’d respond to a few things here too.
I don’t know why you guys are talking about law rankings. The OP is not enrolling in the law schools and when, and if, that time comes, they probably should be looking at law schools other than GW or AU because neither are worth it.
On the topic of political science, I’ll say this - the schools are so similar in academics that it comes down to your preference of the campus and the student body. Come visit both and make your decision. Some like the campus feel of AU while others like the city feel of GW. Also consider where you think you’d fit in more, GW is more… confident (one may say arrogant) and some people like that while others do not.
However, if you have academic interests other than politics then GW may be a better fit. I entered AU as a PolSci major and changed it to Public Health after taking courses in health policy and the AU Public Health program is terrible while the GW program is better. So if you think there is a chance that you could possibly change your mind on major, I’d consider that too. GW has a better business school and STEM programs in general. But if you are sure about PolSci then both schools are academic equals.
I will say that it is very telling that the answers to this question in the AU forum is that you should choose the school that fits you best, while the pervasive theme of this thread is is that GW is better (and in some cases really derogatory towards AU). That in and of itself tells you something about GW. I think it’s important that you support and root for your college (@NHuffer is a good example of this)! However, anytime there is a need to tear someone/something down to “better” yourself/school that speaks volumes.
@sahmkc try not to judge GW by the bickering in this thread, especially when one of the two people isn’t even going to GW ( @msport ).
I’m a Northern VA Native, my cousin goes to GWU, my older sister graduated two years ago, and my girlfriend went there for the last two years and just transferred out. A bunch of my friends still go to GWU and I’ve spent a LOT of time on campus and at GW parties w/ my GF. I’ve also been to AU parties, and have a very good friend at GU. My heart is very much so attached to the DC area as well while ALL three are GREAT schools anyone that actually lives here or is finalist with the three schools just KNOWS GWU>AU>GU.
Don’t believe me? Say you’re an AU student and 9/10 people will ask you why you chose AU over GW. GU is a top 20 school and should not be compared to either of these, the only thing they share is location. The people at AU and GWU are all great - but you simply will have a better OVERALL quality of education and experience at GWU. At GW you live in the city and can chase internships daily, whereas at AU you may have to take the shuttle down to do this - and that might not seem like a big deal but on a day to day that’s a HUGE advantage.
I got into AU and GWU. And while I was accepted to AU but not GWU yet I did extreme due diligence and cane to the conclusion I would be VERY happy there. However, once I got into GW I no longer considered AU in MY CASE because I’m a business student. Also, the Elliott School (since we’re talking about political science) has a reputation that AU simply doesn’t have, regardless of rankings - if anyone hears you did PoliSci at Elliott they know you’re the real deal. Both are great schools, the opportunities for a PROACTIVE student are the same anywhere - it’s all about networking and keeping good grades. But using a baseline, GW takes that trophy.
You’re right, I chose not to go to GWU because i got into UVA, which is a million timesbetter for what I want to do - and is a completely off topic point/discussion.
I apologize if I came off or am still coming off as conceited/arrogant/making one school seem “lower” but the reality is that AU as a whole is indeed lower and less known than GW. Both schools are awesome and anyone should be proud to go to… but just like if you got into Harvard and Cornell, you know which one is better.
@msport "but just like if you got into Harvard and Cornell, you know which one is better. " Yes and no employer anywhere is going to turn their nose up at a Cornell grad. So if Cornell was the better fit over Harvard, the student should choose Cornell. Going to AU versus GW is going to make very little difference in your long-term career prospects. Our best employee went to a no-name regional college. It is so unknown that it doesn’t have a forum on this site. He is being promoted to a director level with a huge raise. We have two employees who started roughly the same time as this employee in the same department and position that went to a top 15 USNWR ranked Uni and neither are as successful as the employee of the no-name college. In the end, it is what you make of your educational and work opportunities. I think fit is a better criterion because unhappy students are usually not successful students. Once you get past your first “real” job the significance of your undergrad degree really drops and hiring managers focus on your work experience.
And your first “real” job in MOST cases defines what opportunities will be present moving forward. A solid foundation is critical. Also, I know tons of employers that recruit at HYPSW and don’t touch Cornell students. I know employers that are 30% UVA and won’t touch Brown students. I know employers that prefer t25-t50 over tops. GW > AU that’s the whole discussion to be had - go ahead and look at the placements
@msport I also recruit at specific colleges, BUT I don’t discount applicants from other colleges just because I recruit at certain area colleges. If an employer does not recruit at your particular school, then you may have to be more active in your job hunt. In my career in HR I have never encountered another HR professional who said they had lists of colleges that they don’t hire from. In my example above all three were hired into our company for their first job outside of college. We recruit at the top15 USNWR, but that didn’t stop us from hiring the other employee. If a company honestly had lists of schools that they don’t accept employees from then my advice would be to run as fast as you can because they probably have some other bad practices,
Additionally, comparing placements doesn’t take into account the lack of engineering majors and a smaller number of STEM students at AU. Additionally AU attracts many student who are interested in public service like the Peace Corp.
If you pick a school based on rank or other numerical criteria alone, you are likely to be unhappy. I’m sorry you think the only discussion to be had is how high ranked or the perceived "prestige’ of a school is. I would encourage students to choose their school based on a number of factors, not just this was the highest ranked school I got into.