George Mason University is a public institution in Fairfax, Virginia enrolling 27,752 undergraduates. It accepts 88% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 68%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #88 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 2%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
George Mason University ranks #88 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 2%.
College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.
George Mason University was awarded 1061 badges in the 2027 rankings.
College Factual ranked George Mason as #88 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list. This puts it in the top 5% of all schools in the nation.
George Mason is also ranked #6 on the Best Colleges in Virginia list.
See all of the rankings for George Mason University.
George Mason University has an acceptance rate of 88%, so it is easier to gain admission to this school than some others. Still, the admissions staff will examine your application closely to make sure you’re a good fit for George Mason.
About 19% of students accepted to George Mason submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 580 and 680. Math scores were between 580 and 680.
George Mason received ACT scores from 2% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 25 and 30.
Learn more about George Mason University admissions.
The student to faculty ratio at George Mason University is about average at 16 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.
In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at George Mason University is 53%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
The freshmen retention rate of 86% tells us that most first-year, full-time students like George Mason University enough to come back for another year. This is a fair bit higher than the national average of 68%. That’s certainly something to check off in the good column about the school.
The on-time graduation rate for someone pursuing a bachelor’s degree is typically four years. This rate at George Mason for first-time, full-time students is 68%, which is better than the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at George Mason University.
In the current academic year, there are 27,752 undergraduates at George Mason.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at George Mason University.
The average net price of George Mason is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $11,942 | $12,093 | $15,224 | $19,430 | $25,894 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of George Mason, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At George Mason, approximately 31% of students took out student loans averaging $6,502 a year. That adds up to $26,008 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 1.3%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for George Mason University.
The pay for some majors is higher than others, but on average, students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University make about $76,343 a year during their first few years of employment after graduation. That’s great news for George Mason University students since it is 55% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year.
See which majors at George Mason University make the most money.
George Mason University is a public institution found in Fairfax, Virginia. Fairfax is a good match for students who enjoy the safety and convenience of the suburbs. Get more details about the location of George Mason University.
Contact information for George Mason University are listed below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 4400 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 |
| Phone: | 7039931000 |
| Website: | www2.gmu.edu/ |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mason_University |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/georgemason |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/georgemasonu |
During the most recent year for which we have data, students from 27 majors graduated from George Mason University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 11,131 | NA |
| Computer Information Systems | 1,387 | $80,528 |
| Business & Commerce | 1,129 | NA |
| General Psychology | 486 | $39,492 |
| Computer Software Applications | 402 | $97,471 |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 386 | $34,587 |
| General Biology | 367 | $34,090 |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | 365 | $42,069 |
| Nursing | 318 | $75,598 |
| Special Education | 317 | $58,341 |
21,080 students took at least one online class at George Mason University.
Online learning is becoming popular at even the oldest colleges and universities in the United States. Not only are online classes great for returning adults with busy schedules, they are also frequented by a growing number of traditional students.
Learn more about online learning at George Mason University.
Curious how schools stack up against George Mason? Compare them side by side using College Combat, our free tool for head-to-head college comparisons.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References