UnisHub University Compass

George Mason University : Overview, Courses, Scholarships & Rankings

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About George Mason University

Just a quick hop from Washington, DC, the Fairfax campus feels both leafy and plugged in. George Mason University has a reputation for strengths in policy and the social sciences, business, engineering and computing, the arts and media, and health fields. Classrooms and labs sit beside studios and a busy performing arts center; you'll find makerspaces, a deep library, tutoring and writing support, thoughtful advising, plus wellness and counseling that students actually use.

Student life runs wide: cultural clubs, service projects, guest speakers, concerts, intramurals, and pickup games on bright afternoons. Recreation centers and nearby trails keep things moving. The vibe is diverse, collaborative, a little restless in a good way. Career prep leans on the region with internships and real project work across government, nonprofits, and the tech corridor. Fairfax brings parks and cafés, and DC adds museums, networks, and big basketball nights that spark Patriot pride.

Key Institutional Details

Contact & Profile

Location
4400 University Dr, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, USA
Unit ID
232186

Academic & Institutional

Control
Public institution (funded by state or local government)
Accreditation
SACSCOC
Length of Study
Programs under 2 years (e.g. certificate or diploma)
Calendar System
Semester system (two main terms per year)
Award Levels
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
Doctorate (P)
Other Award
Campus Setting
Located in a large suburb (outside principal city, 250,000+ population)
Carnegie Classification
Doctoral - R1 (Very High Research)
Tuition & Fees
In-State
$13,815
Tuition $10,095 + Fee $3,720
Out-of-State
$37,979
Tuition $34,259 + Fee $3,720
Student Profile
Total Students 39,527
Undergraduate 27,083
Graduate/Other 12,444
Male: 19,242 Female: 20,285
Applications
Total Applicants 22,579
Admitted 20,057
Enrolled 4,451
Acceptance: 88.8% Yield: 22.2%
Staff
Total Staff 6,112
Full-time 4,683
Part-time 1,429
Full-time: 76.6% Part-time: 23.4%

Academic Programs & Fields of Study

George Mason University offers 180 degree programs across 26 major academic fields, graduating approximately 10,754 students annually. The most popular fields by graduate volume are Computer & IT (8 programs, 1,773 graduates), Business (17 programs, 1,574 graduates), Education (22 programs, 924 graduates), Health (14 programs, 823 graduates) and Social Sciences (11 programs, 676 graduates). Explore program details, award levels, and graduate demographics below.

Computer & IT (8 programs, 1,773 graduates)
Computer Science, Information Technology and Cybersecurity
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Computer and Information Sciences 824
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
11.0101
Information Technology 480
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
11.0103
Data Modeling and Database Administration 346
Master's
11.0802
Information Science 69
Postbac Cert.
Master's
11.0401
Computer Science 32
Bachelor's
11.0701
Information Systems Security and Auditing 11
Master's
11.1003
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications 8
Master's
11.0901
Computer Programming 3
Postbac Cert.
11.0299
Business (17 programs, 1,574 graduates)
Business Administration, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Business Administration 1,005
Bachelor's
Master's
52.0101
Business Administration and Management 224
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
52.0201
Accounting 123
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
52.0301
Finance, General 36
Bachelor's
Master's
52.0801
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods 34
Bachelor's
52.1399
Accounting and Auditing 28
Postbac Cert.
52.0303
Marketing Management 23
Bachelor's
52.1401
Tourism and Travel Management 22
Bachelor's
52.0903
Real Estate 21
Master's
52.1501
Organizational Behavior 14
Master's
52.1003
Accounting and Finance 11
Postbac Cert.
52.0304
Purchasing and Contracts Management 10
Postbac Cert.
52.0202
Project Management 10
Master's
52.0211
Accounting and Related Services 8
Postbac Cert.
52.0399
Nonprofit and Organizational Management 2
Postbac Cert.
52.0206
Management Information Systems 2
Postbac Cert.
52.1201
International Business and Trade 1
Postbac Cert.
52.1101
Education (22 programs, 924 graduates)
Educational Sciences, Teaching Methods and Pedagogy
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Special Education Teaching 285
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
13.1001
Curriculum and Instruction 261
Postbac Cert.
Master's
13.0301
Educational Leadership and Administration 84
Postbac Cert.
Master's
13.0401
School Counseling and Guidance 53
Postbac Cert.
Master's
13.1101
Early Childhood Education 45
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
13.1210
Elementary Education 41
Bachelor's
13.1202
General Education 37
Doctorate (R)
13.0101
Instructional Technology 25
Postbac Cert.
Master's
13.0501
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 17
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
13.1314
Reading Teacher Education 16
Postbac Cert.
Master's
13.1315
Teaching Individuals with Autism 15
Postbac Cert.
13.1013
Higher Education Administration 10
Master's
13.0406
Early Childhood Special Education Teaching 10
Postbac Cert.
13.1015
Art Education 8
Master's
13.1302
Health Education Teacher Preparation 7
Bachelor's
13.1307
Education of Individuals with Vision Impairments 2
Postbac Cert.
13.1009
Adult and Continuing Education 2
Postbac Cert.
13.1201
Music Teacher Education 2
Postbac Cert.
Doctorate (R)
13.1312
Educational Research and Statistics 1
Postbac Cert.
13.0603
Foundations of Education 1
Postbac Cert.
13.0901
Gifted and Talented Education 1
Postbac Cert.
13.1004
Drama and Dance Education 1
Postbac Cert.
13.1324
Health (14 programs, 823 graduates)
Healthcare Professions, Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Registered Nursing 260
Bachelor's
Master's
51.3801
Community Health and Preventive Medicine 157
Bachelor's
51.2208
Health Professions and Related Sciences 93
Bachelor's
51.9999
Medical Informatics 90
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
51.2706
Health Administration and Management 78
Master's
51.0701
Public Health 70
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
51.2201
Nursing Practice 21
Doctorate (R)
51.3818
Clinical Laboratory Science and Medical Technology 15
Bachelor's
51.1005
Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 12
Postbac Cert.
51.3810
Athletic Training 9
Master's
51.0913
Clinical Nutrition 9
Postbac Cert.
Master's
51.3102
Public Health 4
Doctorate (R)
51.2299
Nursing Science 4
Doctorate (R)
51.3808
International Public Health 1
Master's
51.2210
Social Sciences (11 programs, 676 graduates)
Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science Studies
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Economics 157
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
45.0601
Political Science and Government 144
Bachelor's
45.1099
International Relations 140
Bachelor's
Master's
45.0901
International Relations and National Security 83
Master's
45.0999
Sociology 51
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
45.1101
Anthropology 42
Bachelor's
Master's
45.0201
Geography 25
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
45.0701
Political Science and Government 21
Master's
Doctorate (R)
45.1001
Geographic Information Science and Cartography 7
Master's
45.0702
National Security Policy 4
Postbac Cert.
45.0902
Economics 2
Postbac Cert.
45.0699
Security & Safety (8 programs, 617 graduates)
Emergency Management, Law Enforcement and Public Safety
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Criminal Justice and Police Science 331
Bachelor's
43.0107
Critical Infrastructure Protection 142
Bachelor's
Master's
43.0303
Forensic Science and Technology 75
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
43.0406
Criminal Justice and Safety Studies 29
Master's
43.0104
Cyber and Computer Forensics 24
Postbac Cert.
Master's
43.0403
Criminal Justice Administration 8
Master's
Doctorate (R)
43.0103
Crisis and Emergency Management 4
Postbac Cert.
43.0302
Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations 4
Postbac Cert.
43.0304
Psychology (6 programs, 604 graduates)
Psychological Sciences, Mental Health and Behavioral Studies
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
General Psychology 409
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
42.0101
Applied Behavior Analysis 96
Postbac Cert.
42.2814
Industrial-Organizational Psychology 75
Master's
42.2804
Educational Psychology 14
Master's
42.2806
School Psychology 8
Postbac Cert.
42.2805
Applied Psychology 2
Postbac Cert.
42.2813
Biological Sciences (10 programs, 536 graduates)
Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Biomedical Research
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Biology and Biological Sciences 335
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
26.0101
Neuroscience 75
Bachelor's
Doctorate (R)
26.1501
Biomedical Sciences 39
Postbac Cert.
26.0102
Cell and Molecular Biology 29
Postbac Cert.
26.0406
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology 21
Postbac Cert.
Master's
26.0599
Biometry and Biometrics 20
Master's
Doctorate (R)
26.1101
Biochemistry 8
Doctorate (R)
26.0202
Bioinformatics 5
Postbac Cert.
Master's
26.1103
Biostatistics 3
Master's
26.1102
Conservation Biology 1
Postbac Cert.
26.1307
Engineering (11 programs, 510 graduates)
Engineering Sciences and Applied Technology Solutions
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Civil Engineering 109
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
14.0801
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 89
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
14.1001
Mechanical Engineering 87
Bachelor's
14.1901
Computer Engineering 76
Bachelor's
Master's
14.0901
Biomedical Engineering 56
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
14.0501
Systems Engineering 44
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
14.2701
Software Engineering 34
Postbac Cert.
Master's
14.0903
Industrial Engineering 9
Master's
14.3501
Telecommunications Engineering 4
Postbac Cert.
14.1004
Aerospace Engineering 1
Postbac Cert.
14.0201
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering 1
Postbac Cert.
14.2201
Interdisciplinary (12 programs, 412 graduates)
Cross-Disciplinary Studies and Integrated Research Programs
Program Name Graduates Gender Distribution Award Levels CIP Code
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution 130
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
30.0501
Mathematics and Computer Science 78
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
30.0801
Business Analytics 78
Postbac Cert.
30.7102
Sustainability Studies 34
Bachelor's
30.3301
Global Studies 30
Master's
30.2001
Data Analytics 19
Postbac Cert.
30.7101
Multi- and Interdisciplinary Studies 19
Master's
30.9999
Science, Technology, and Society 9
Postbac Cert.
Doctorate (R)
30.1501
Biological and Physical Sciences 8
Doctorate (R)
30.0101
Holocaust and Related Studies 5
Postbac Cert.
30.2101
Cultural Studies and Critical Theory 1
Postbac Cert.
30.2601
Computational Science 1
Postbac Cert.
30.3001

Admission Requirements & Test Scores

Comprehensive overview of admission criteria, standardized test score ranges, and application requirements for prospective students at George Mason University.

Application Requirements

Secondary School GPA
Required
Secondary School Rank
Neither required nor recommended
Secondary School Record
Required
College Preparatory Program
Required
English Proficiency Test (TOEFL)
Required
Standardized Test Scores
SAT Scores
The SAT is a standardized college admission test measuring reading, writing, and math skills. Scores range from 400-1600 (combined Evidence-Based Reading & Writing + Math sections).
Composite Score Range
1140 - 1340
25th-75th percentile
Evidence-Based Reading & Writing 580 - 670
Median: 630
Math 560 - 670
Median: 610
ACT Scores
The ACT is a standardized test for college admissions assessing English, math, reading, and science reasoning. Scores range from 1-36 (composite of all sections).
Composite Score Range
25 - 30
25th-75th percentile
English 24 - 31
Median: 27
Math 23 - 28
Median: 26

Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Test score ranges represent the middle 50% of admitted students (25th-75th percentile). Requirements may vary by program.

Tuition, Fees & Estimated Costs

Overview of tuition rates, housing, and other annual education expenses for undergraduate and graduate students

Estimated Total Cost
(In-state)
$33,748
Estimated Total Cost
(Out-state)
$57,912
In-state Tuition (incl. fees)
$13,815
Tuition and fees for students residing in-state
Out-of-state Tuition (incl. fees)
$37,979
Tuition and fees for non-resident students
Room & Board
$15,151
Housing and meal plan expenses
Books & Supplies
$1,278
Average yearly cost of books and study materials
Other Expenses
$3,504 (on) / $7,790 (off)
Miscellaneous personal and institutional expenses
Other Expenses (with family)
$4,676
Estimated cost for students living with family
Graduate In-state Tuition (incl. fees)
$17,446
Graduate tuition rates for in-state students
Graduate Out-of-state Tuition (incl. fees)
$39,397
Graduate tuition rates for non-resident students

Financial Aid & Student Support

Summary of scholarships, grants, student loans, and financial aid statistics for undergraduate students

15%
FTFT Aid Recipients
Avg. Grant
$11,311
Avg. Loan
$7,907
Avg. Federal Loan
$5,084
Additional
Students with Any Grant
2,902
Students who received any type of grant aid
Students with Any Loan
1,649
Students who received any type of loan-based aid
Students with Federal Grant
1,125
Students who received a federal grant
Avg. Institutional Grant
$7,603
Average amount of institutional grant awarded

Student Success Metrics

Graduation rates and post-graduation earnings to help assess student outcomes and long-term value of education.

69%
Graduation Rate
Percentage of students who successfully graduate from the institution
87%
First-Year Retention Rate
Percentage of first-year students who continue for a second year
Median Earnings Over Time
$47,905 – $109,864
Salary Range (25th–75th Percentile, 10 Years)
$47,905 (25th %) $109,864 (75th %)
*Median Salary After 10 Years: $76,343
Median Salary After 6 Years
$60,536
Average annual earnings of former students six years after starting college.
Median Salary After 10 Years
$76,343
Average annual earnings of former students ten years after starting college.

Loan Burden & Repayment Outcomes

Breakdown of loan repayment rates and student debt levels by income and dependency status.

3-Year Loan Repayment Rate
73.0%
Share of borrowers who repaid loans within 3 years
Repayment Rate (Graduates Only)
80.0%
Repayment rate among students who completed their program
Median Student Loan Debt
$19,500
Median federal loan debt of undergraduate completers at time of graduation.
Repayment by Income
Low 67.3%
Middle 73.6%
High 77.8%
Repayment by Dependency
Dependent 75.5%
Independent 67.7%

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about George Mason University

How much does it cost to attend George Mason University?

The annual tuition at George Mason University is $13,815 for in-state students and $37,979 for out-of-state students. When including room and board, books, and other expenses, the total estimated cost is approximately $33,748 for in-state students and $57,912 for out-of-state students. Additional costs include room and board $15,151 and books and supplies $1,278.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2022-2023 academic year. Tuition and cost estimates are approximate and may not include all fees, personal expenses, or transportation costs.

What academic programs and degree levels does George Mason University offer?

George Mason University offers 180 academic programs across 26 major fields of study, with available degree levels: Bachelor's, Postbac Cert., Master's, Doctorate (Research), Doctorate (Professional), Other Award.

Most popular program areas include:

  • Computer Science, Information Technology and Cybersecurity (8 programs)
  • Business Administration, Marketing and Entrepreneurship (17 programs)
  • Educational Sciences, Teaching Methods and Pedagogy (22 programs)
  • Healthcare Professions, Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice (14 programs)
  • Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science Studies (11 programs)

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated, not all offered programs.

What is the acceptance rate for George Mason University?

George Mason University has an 88.8% acceptance rate and a 22.2% yield rate, making it moderately selective.

Admission statistics breakdown:

  • Total applicants: 22,579
  • Students admitted: 20,057
  • Students enrolled: 4,451

Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Admission statistics may vary by program and application cycle.

What financial aid and scholarships are available at George Mason University?

George Mason University provides financial aid to 15% of first-time, full-time students, with average grants of $11,311 and average loans of $7,907.

Average financial aid amounts by type:

  • Pell grants: $5,573
  • State/Local grants: $5,508
  • Institutional grants: $7,603
  • Federal loans: $5,084

The university supports 2,902 students with grants and 1,649 students with loans annually.

Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Financial aid amounts and percentages may vary by program, enrollment status, and individual circumstances.

What is the average salary for George Mason University graduates?

George Mason University graduates earn a median salary of $60,536 after 6 years and $76,343 after 10 years.

The salary range 10 years after graduation spans from $47,905 (25th percentile) to $109,864 (75th percentile).

Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Salary data reflects graduates who received federal financial aid (approximately 60% of all graduates). Actual earnings may vary significantly based on program, location, and individual circumstances.

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