George Mason University (George Mason)
Public four-year university in Fairfax, VA that costs an average of $14,697 a year after financial aid, admits 87% of applicants and graduates 66% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$14,697
Acceptance rate
87%
Graduation rate
66%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$79,923
PublicLarge suburb27,752 undergraduates
Cost of George Mason
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $26,910 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $14,316 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $39,312 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $16,156 |
| Books and supplies | $1,290 |
| Average net price after aid | $14,697 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $9,594 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $9,467 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $11,341 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $16,147 |
| $110,001+ | $23,862 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships (in-state students). Get your own estimate with George Mason's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 87% |
|---|---|
| Average SAT | 1,274 |
| SAT reading (25th–75th percentile) | 580–680 |
| SAT math (25th–75th percentile) | 580–680 |
| ACT composite (25th–75th percentile) | 25–30 |
| Test scores | Considered but not required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 66% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 86% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $64,977 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $79,923 |
| Rank in Virginia (earnings) | 9th of 51 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $18,500 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $210 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 34% |
| Students with federal loans | 29% |
Majors and programs at George Mason
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (69)
Certificate programs (5)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Biology | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | — | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | — | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | — | — | — |
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs (4)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Biology | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | — | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | — | — | — |
Master's degree programs (77)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | 814 | $128,327 | $28,072 |
| Computer Engineering | 127 | $123,274 | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 665 | $122,523 | $26,886 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 306 | $122,008 | $41,000 |
| Systems Engineering | 41 | $114,143 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 161 | $110,299 | $42,166 |
| Civil Engineering | 60 | $102,677 | — |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | 141 | $101,900 | $33,431 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 143 | $89,990 | — |
| Public Administration | 130 | $88,982 | $41,000 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 205 | $87,085 | $34,083 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 64 | $85,635 | $39,930 |
| Economics | 117 | $84,389 | $29,506 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 155 | $83,794 | $35,350 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 38 | $83,092 | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 35 | $82,758 | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 212 | $77,714 | $37,125 |
| Security Science and Technology | 115 | $77,022 | $41,000 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 173 | $75,871 | $25,125 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 159 | $75,041 | $46,608 |
| Psychology | 119 | $70,735 | $30,750 |
| Public Health | 124 | $69,266 | $37,941 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 52 | $68,865 | — |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | 144 | $67,786 | $28,500 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 105 | $66,470 | $53,415 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 494 | $64,515 | $29,500 |
| English Language and Literature | — | $64,132 | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 495 | $62,286 | $26,550 |
| Social Work | 260 | $61,715 | $55,166 |
| History | 66 | $59,880 | — |
| Music | 32 | $57,819 | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 44 | $57,142 | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 40 | $55,121 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 53 | $51,653 | — |
| Biology | 88 | $50,054 | $22,349 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 21 | — | — |
| Anthropology | 23 | — | — |
| Area Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 5 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 36 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 25 | — | — |
| Business/Commerce | 57 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 13 | — | — |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | 14 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 20 | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 2 | — | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 16 | — | — |
| Dispute Resolution | — | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 46 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 39 | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 22 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 11 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 30 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 10 | — | — |
| Graphic Communications | 3 | — | — |
| Homeland Security | 38 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 35 | — | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 13 | — | — |
| Information Science/Studies | 90 | — | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | 67 | — | — |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | 8 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 7 | — | — |
| Literature | 57 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 15 | — | — |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 18 | — | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 31 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 26 | — | — |
| Operations Research | 6 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 5 | — | — |
| Physics | 22 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 28 | — | — |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | 6 | — | — |
| Real Estate | 38 | — | — |
| Sociology | 18 | — | — |
| Statistics | 14 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 16 | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 3 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (36)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 63 | $123,451 | $53,685 |
| Economics | 43 | $122,488 | — |
| Psychology | 39 | $96,993 | — |
| Education | 80 | $96,011 | $47,151 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 5 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 10 | — | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 15 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 16 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 11 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 21 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 58 | — | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 13 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 23 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 11 | — | — |
| History | 9 | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 12 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 4 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 7 | — | — |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 9 | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | — | — | — |
| Music | 11 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 23 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 7 | — | — |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | 24 | — | — |
| Physics | 10 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 9 | — | — |
| Public Health | 12 | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 17 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 12 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 14 | — | — |
| Science, Technology and Society | 9 | — | — |
| Sociology | 8 | — | — |
| Statistics | 4 | — | — |
| Systems Engineering | 10 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 2 | — | — |
Professional degree programs (1)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | 397 | $85,377 | $77,500 |
Graduate certificate programs (70)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Analytics | 185 | $126,988 | $41,000 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | — | $119,215 | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 46 | $92,650 | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 40 | $92,500 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 111 | $91,655 | $27,332 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 42 | $76,556 | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 136 | $66,870 | $31,625 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 221 | $63,151 | $33,500 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | — | $59,535 | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 51 | $57,386 | — |
| Biology | 125 | $42,336 | $36,920 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 2 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | — | — | — |
| Area Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 4 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 61 | — | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 51 | — | — |
| Cognitive Science | — | — | — |
| Computational Science | 2 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 7 | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 9 | — | — |
| Computer Programming | 3 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | — | — | — |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | 2 | — | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 4 | — | — |
| Dispute Resolution | 5 | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 2 | — | — |
| Economics | 9 | — | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 4 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 7 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 7 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 6 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 10 | — | — |
| Gerontology | — | — | — |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | — | — | — |
| History | 17 | — | — |
| Holocaust and Related Studies | 12 | — | — |
| Homeland Security | 12 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 8 | — | — |
| Information Science/Studies | 2 | — | — |
| International Business | 5 | — | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 10 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 7 | — | — |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 10 | — | — |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | — | — | — |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | 9 | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 11 | — | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | 5 | — | — |
| Operations Research | 1 | — | — |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | 7 | — | — |
| Public Administration | 7 | — | — |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | 6 | — | — |
| Public Health | 11 | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 6 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 4 | — | — |
| Publishing | 3 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 22 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | — | — |
| Science, Technology and Society | 1 | — | — |
| Security Science and Technology | 8 | — | — |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 1 | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 12 | — | — |
| Statistics | 2 | — | — |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 7 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Systems Engineering | 2 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 15 | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | — | — | — |
Similar colleges in Virginia
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | $25,808 | 55% | $88,716 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg | $23,550 | 72% | $75,482 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | $25,037 | 93% | $64,442 |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus | Charlottesville | $18,056 | 17% | $96,468 |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk | $12,913 | 90% | $60,482 |
| William & Mary | Williamsburg | $18,880 | 34% | $83,488 |
| Radford University | Radford | $13,701 | 90% | $59,134 |
| Norfolk State University | Norfolk | $12,180 | 88% | $49,237 |
About George Mason
| Type | Public four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | Fairfax, VA |
| Setting | Large suburb |
| Undergraduates | 27,752 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 16 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
| Website | gmu.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is George Mason's acceptance rate?
George Mason University admits 87% of applicants. Admitted students average 1,274 on the SAT.
How much does George Mason cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $26,910 a year (tuition and fees: $14,316 in-state, $39,312 out-of-state). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $14,697 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $9,594.
How much do George Mason graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $79,923 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 9th of 51 similar colleges in Virginia. The best-paid bachelor's program is homeland security ($91,928 a year after graduation).
What is George Mason's graduation rate?
66% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% of first-year students return for a second year.