George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia | Admissions Phone: 703-993-2400
E-mail: admissions@gmu.edu | Website: www2.gmu.edu
ADMISSION
Admission Rate: 81%
Admission Rate - Men: 77%
Admission Rate - Women: 84%
EA Admission Rate: 85%
ED Admission Rate: Not Offered
Admission Rate (5-Year Trend): +19%
ED Admission Rate (5-Year Trend): Not Offered
% of Admits Attending (Yield): 23%
Transfer Admission Rate: 83%
# Offered Wait List: 1,889
# Accepted Wait List: 1,770
# Admitted Wait List: 187
SAT Reading/Writing (Middle 50%): 570-660
SAT Math (Middle 50%): 550-660
ACT Composite (Middle 50%): 24-30
Testing Policy: ACT/SAT Required
SAT Superscore: Yes
ACT Superscore: No
% Graduated in Top 10% of HS Class: 18%
% Graduated in Top 25% of HS Class: 50%
% Graduated in Top 50% of HS Class: 87%
ENROLLMENT
Total Undergraduate Enrollment: 26,192
% Part-Time: 19%
% Male: 50%
% Female: 50%
% Out-of-State: 10%
% Fraternity: 5%
% Sorority: 8%
% On-Campus (Freshman): 64%
% On-Campus (All Undergraduate): 23%
% African-American: 11%
% Asian: 20%
% Hispanic: 15%
% White: 39%
% Other: 5%
% Race or Ethnicity Unknown: 3%
% International: 6%
% Low-Income: 24%
ACADEMICS
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 17:1
% of Classes Under 20: 30%
% of Classes Under 40: 73%
% Full-Time Faculty: 48%
% Full-Time Faculty w/ Terminal Degree: 90%
Top Programs
Accounting
Criminology, Law and Society
Computer Science
Economics
Government and International Politics
History
Information Technology
Retention Rate: 86%
4-Year Graduation Rate: 47%
6-Year Graduation Rate: 70%
Curricular Flexibility: Less Flexible
Academic Rating: 
FINANCIAL
Institutional Type: Public
In-State Tuition: $9,060
Out-of-State Tuition: $32,520
Room & Board: $11,460
Required Fees: $3,402
Books & Supplies: $1,200
Avg. Need-Based Aid: $7,840
Avg. % of Need Met: 63%
Avg. Merit-Based Aid: $6,312
% Receiving Merit-Based Aid: 36%
Avg. Cumulative Debt: $30,790
% of Students Borrowing: 60%
CAREER
Who Recruits
1. CoStar
2. BAE Systems
3. Andersen Tax
4. Boeing
5. Black Horse
Notable Internships
1. Verizon
2. Cisco
3. BAE Systems
Top Industries
1. Business
2. Education
3. Infromation Technology
4. Operations
5. Engineering
Top Employers
1. Booz Allen Hamilton
2. Deloitte
3. Northrop Grumman
4. Capital One
5. Freddie Mac
Where Alumni Work
1. Washington, DC
2. New York City
3. Richmond, VA
4. San Francisco
5. Baltimore
Median Earnings
College Scorecard (Early Career): $59,900
EOP (Early Career): $56,500
PayScale (Mid-Career): $105,700
RANKINGS
Forbes: 177
Money: 64
U.S. News: 153, National Universities
Wall Street Journal/THE: 184
Washington Monthly: 51, National Universities
Inside the Classroom
If you had to describe George Mason University in five adjectives or less, large, public, affordable, career-focused, and politically conservative (the Koch brothers are/were major donors) would be apt selections. Outsiders sometimes find the number of GMU students surprising; there are 37,000+ of them, more than 25,000 of whom are undergraduates. The high numbers of commuters can hide the actual scope of the university that features ten undergraduate schools and colleges and approximately seventy distinct academic programs. You can get a sense of the pre-professional feel of the student body simply by examining the areas where the greatest number of degrees are conferred. Business (20 percent) is followed by the social sciences (11 percent), health professions (10 percent), computer and information sciences (9 percent), and engineering (6 percent).
Mason aims to make every one of its graduates an “engaged citizen and well-rounded scholar who is prepared to act.” Toward that goal it requires a journey through the “Mason Core,” a forty-three credit collection of foundation, exploration, and integration requirements. Among the mandatory topics one must tackle are written communication, oral communication, quantitative reasoning and information technology, literature, arts, natural sciences, and other liberal arts staples. That trek will take you the equivalent of three full semesters. The Honors College requires twelve additional credits.
As a result of a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio and over 11,000 graduate students, class sizes at GMU are rarely small, but it tends to be a mixed bag, and many sections do feature relatively modest numbers. Thirty percent of sections enroll nineteen or fewer students, 27 percent have forty or more students, and the remaining sections lie in between. More intimate educational experiences can be sought in the form of undergraduate research, which roughly half of all students ultimately engage in. There are plenty of summer research opportunities, but you can also take courses designated as Discovery of Scholarship, Scholarly Inquiry, or Research & Scholarship Intensive that offer built-in supervised research. Presently, only ten percent of GMU students study abroad, but the school does sponsor 140+ programs, including travel to the school’s own international campus in South Korea.
The Volgenau College of Engineering, which houses a top-tier Information Technology Department, and the School of Business are both extremely reputable in the eyes of prospective employers, and the school’s Northern Virginia location allows many to connections with industry to be forged via internships and face-to-face recruiting opportunities. Recent grads have also captured a growing number of prestigious fellowships and scholarships. In 2018, five students won Boren Awards, and in 2019, the school produced a Truman Scholarship winner and has boasted a handful of Fulbright Scholars in recent years.
Outside the Classroom
Only 63 percent of freshmen and 22 percent of the overall undergraduate population reside in on-campus housing. There are many students who commute and/or live in (sometimes) cheaper off-campus housing in Arlington, Falls Church, Annandale, or Manassas. Because 85 percent of GMU students are Virginia residents, they are usually in fairly close proximity to their families. Greek life exists but doesn’t dominate; 5 percent of men join frats, and 8 percent of women join sororities. While DC isn’t exactly in your backyard at Mason, it is like having a beautiful park right down the street. The heart of the city is only fifteen miles from campus. Meanwhile, the 677 wooded acres that comprise the school’s grounds are home to 500+ student-run clubs. There are hundreds of events to attend for free at the Center for the Arts, organic gardens that can be fully utilized by students, two pools, and loads of intramural and club sports. On the more serious athletic front, the Patriots’ 462 student-athletes compete in twenty-two NCAA Division I sports with a men’s basketball team good enough to have made a Final Four run this millennium. The Hub Student Center is another place where a student body with a large contingent of commuters can coalesce and mingle, but surveys indicate that, at present, the social scene at Mason has room for improvement. Seniors offer much lower ratings of indicators like “sense of belonging” and “involvement in campus activities” than the quality of academic instruction they received.
Career Services
George Mason University Career Services employs twenty-four professionals (not including office assistants, the webmaster, or peer advisors). Roles include employer outreach, industry advisor, career counselor, and career fair manager. That works out to a 1,041:1 student-to-advisor ratio, poorer than the average ratio when compared to other institutions included in this guidebook but not altogether unusual for a school of Mason’s size. The career services staff still manages to help more than 20,000 unique students each year, approximately 81 percent of all undergraduate students, which is impressive.
This level of outreach helps to explain why, among employed class of 2018 members, 82 percent were in jobs that aligned with their career goals. Some connections are made through fall and spring career fairs that draw 150 employers and 1,500+ students each semester. The internship outlook is aided by the prime location of the university as well as cultivated relationships with many companies. There are fifteen Fortune 500 Companies and, of course, every government agency within a stone’s throw. Within the Civil Engineering Department over 90 percent of undergrads complete at least one internship. Over 100,000 Mason alumni, who are mainly concentrated in the Beltway area, also greatly aid the job and internship hunt.
Professional Outcomes
Six months after receiving their degrees 82 percent of the class of 2018 had accepted a job offer or started work in a graduate program. The most commonly entered industries were education (21 percent), government (15 percent), technology (11 percent), health (9 percent), consulting (6 percent), and finance (6 percent). GMU grads flow into major consulting firms like Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, and Accenture, financial institutions like Capital One and Freddie Mac, and engineering/tech firms like General Dynamics, IBM, and Microsoft. Class of 2018 graduates also secured employment at Lockheed Martin, the Smithsonian, the Department of Homeland Security, the Kennedy Center, and CBS News. The vast majority of recent grads stay in the area as 92 percent work in DC, Virginia, or Maryland. New York City and San Francisco also have sizable numbers of Mason alumni. Including bonuses, the median first year salary for a GMU grad is $61,000.
George Mason is presently conducting a feasibility study for creating its own medical college. In the meantime, it offers two guaranteed admissions, joint-degree programs with Virginia Commonwealth University and George Washington University. George Mason does have its own institution for legal education—the Antonin Scalia Law School—and it offers a 3+3 bachelor’s/JD program. Across all disciplines Mason graduates tend to pursue advanced degrees either at Mason itself or at other area schools including George Washington, American University, or the University of Maryland.
Admission
At 81 percent George Mason has one the highest acceptance rates of any school featured in this guide, making it an excellent choice for someone with less-than-stellar credentials but a desire to attend a school with tremendous resources. The school is test-optional for those with a strong GPA (It cites a mid-50 percent mark as 3.3-3.9, a record of honors and AP courses, and an impressive list of extracurricular activities that demonstrate leadership). Most applicants end up submitting standardized test scores—71 percent of the Class of 2022 submitted SAT scores, and 9 percent produced ACT results. The mid-50 percent ranges were 1120-1320 on the SAT and 24-30 on the ACT. Only 18 percent of 2018-19 freshman placed in the top 10 percent of their high school class, half were in the top quartile, and 87 percent were in the top 50 percent. The average GPA was 3.7, but 27 percent were below 3.5, giving hope to those who may have hit some bumps along their academic road.
GMU values the rigor of one’s high school courses and the GPA earned above all else. Class rank, standardized test scores, and intangibles like talent/ability and character/personal qualities come next. There are no interviews offered as part of the process, nor is there an option for binding early decision. An early action deadline of November 1 will get students a decision by December 15. Entry to Mason is competitive, but compared to many other schools of its class, the bar is easier to clear.
Worth Your Money?
As a state resident George Mason is an unequivocal steal at under $12,500 in tuition. Out-of-staters will pay almost three times as much, making it a question of (a) will Mason provide me with significantly better academics/job prospects than public universities in my own state, and (b) will my potential area of study warrant the extra cost? For example, an applicant from Pennsylvania intent on majoring in education would be unlikely to get a solid return on investment depending, of course, on the degree of merit and need-based aid.