Why D.C. is a Top Choice for Business Students

I have just attended my first “Preview Day” here at American University—our open house for prospective students (largely future undergraduates), who come tour our campus and meet with our faculty and students. The question of the day—and I get asked this question often—was “Why should you study business in Washington, D.C.?”

Now, I will acknowledge that there are a number of cities across the country where a great business education is available. And, coming from my most recent post, I would argue that New York is still the financial capital of the United States.

The bottom line is, however, that business is global; and, there is simply no city more global than Washington, D.C. I contend there is no location more global than American University’s, here in the nation’s capital.

I’m not the only one who has made the leap here from the Big Apple. Last year, while I was still in New York, the Wall Street Journal reported that the office market in D.C. was poised to topple NYC as the nation’s most expensive—a clear sign of the expansion underway here. With its relatively healthy job prospects, D.C. is an attractive market for many of our students.

In addition, government involvement in business (or intrusion, depending on your perspective), is greater now than it has ever been—at least in my lifetime—and it is going to stay that way for the next 25 years.

There is a lot of talk about whether government regulation helps or hinders the economy and resulting job growth, not to mention the impact on small business. Our Tax Center is conducting research in this area to add to the discussion. As a national election year looms, I have no doubt that the pros and cons of regulation will be hotly debated.

Regardless of your stance, D.C. is the optimal place to be as this debate wages on. There is no shortage of opportunity to listen to the debate, join in the conversation, and perhaps have an influence. And, for that reason, it is the best place to study business.