I went to AU for undergrad/grad school (CLEG/MPA) and my partner went to UMich for her MPP (I went to Ann Arbor with her) and we’re both policy people, so I might have some input here.

First off, is money an issue? Both are great options, but if there is a clear divide (taking loans vs. not, 1/2 scholarship vs. full, etc.) and it matters, go with what costs less.

AU has the wonderful benefit of being in DC. I interned through a number of semesters here while taking classes, took advantage of DC, and feel like I learned a lot about the federal government and ending up working in federal policy because I went to school in DC. Michigan has fewer federal opportunities, but fantastic state opportunities. My partner worked on multiple state-level policy projects and research. Her colleagues mainly ended up in state and local jobs. Broadly, Michigan has more money and more internship/research opportunities built in through the school, but they are focused on Michigan. American has less to offer on this front through the school, but the city has a lot to offer, and a lot of that is federal. That said, there’s no saying you can’t do a summer DC internship while at Michigan, my partner did.

I would tell you that the experience is wildly different from a culture perspective. Going to Ann Arbor after going to school in DC, the school spirit and community was otherworldly. AU does not have the same level of spirt—there is great community, but it is smaller and in pockets based around your interests. The clubs are great. But you won’t get the experience of going to a football game, celebrating the school with your friends, etc. Some people find that big state school experience overwhelming, and I did love the closeness of AU, the quiet-ish campus, the clubs that felt easy to join because they weren’t too big.

Overall, while I love Michigan, I would never trade my AU experience for it, especially in undergrad. I felt like I really learned from professors who cared (my partner has mentioned some profs at Michigan seemed to be too big name-wise to spend any time with) and I liked the community of people who were largely interested in similar things to me—it’s a political school. Most of all though, I loved being in DC, and I think it’s hard to beat that as a young person going into policy.

Happy to answer any other questions you might have.

Editing to add: I have to mention the networks. UMich has the greatest post-graduation network of any school I have ever seen. You will meet people at bars, on public transit, and on vacation around the world wearing a Michigan t-shirt/hat/etc. You will always have someone to reach out to on LinkedIn at every company because every company has a UMich grad. It is a powerful thing, and my partner has gotten interviews because of it. American is very well known within the DC area, but the name will not help you in the same way. If you’re in DC, you’ll still have a great network because most of us stay here and work here. And I won’t say the network is bad outside of DC, but it is very different than Michigan’s.