<p>American has a School of International Service. I’m not sure what the majors under that school are explicitly called. </p>
<p>Georgetown is the most competitive and best ranked school out of the three. It is a Jesuit university but the Jesuits are known to be the most liberal, open minded order of priests in the Catholic tradition. </p>
<p>GWU is more competitive and has a better reputation than American. Its also much more urban, I went on official visits at both schools and American you pretty much don’t know you’re in the city and GW has much nicer dorms. The professors at GW are also usually better known in their fields because it is in the heart of the city, its easier to intern at GWU. </p>
<p>American may have recently been ranked better for IR but overall is the weakest of the three schools. I also really did not like the feel of the school, I was offered half-tuition, solely for academics with likelihood of athletic scholarship based on future performance and turned it down. Also the students at the other DC/Maryland area schools tend to talk down American and its students. When I visited GW, CUA and Loyola and mentioned American I was told by students at all three schools not to go to American because the students there were weird and the coach was mean. </p>
<p>UMD-College Park is also right outside of DC with a very good journalism school and a decent polisci program. </p>
<p>If you’re looking for a Catholic education or a less expensive school CUA is a good option due to its accessibility to the city and internships. They offer generous financial aid and scholarship because they are partially backed by the Catholic Church. </p>
<p>Very few schools offer an IR major and its also under so many different names and variances at different schools or is just a concentration under the broader umbrella of a polisci major.</p>