College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

George Mason University: Rankings, Admissions, Cost & Majors

1061 awards Ranking Badges
Fair Price Value for Your Money
88% Acceptance Rate

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.

How Is George Mason University Ranked?

George Mason University ranks #88 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 2%.

#88 Best Colleges in Nation
#6 Best Colleges in VA
George Mason University ranking badge

2027 Rankings

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.

Overall Quality

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.

Is It Hard to Get Into George Mason University?

88% Acceptance Rate
90% Of Accepted Are Women
19% Submit SAT Scores

Acceptance Rate

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.

Average Test Scores

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.

SAT Reading and Writing Scores for George Mason University  ( 580 to 680 )
200
800
SAT Math Scores for George Mason University  ( 580 to 680 )
200
800

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.

ACT Composite Scores for George Mason University  ( 25 to 30 )
1
36

Learn more about George Mason University admissions.

What Is the Student-to-Faculty Ratio at George Mason University?

16 to 1 Student to Faculty
53% Full Time Teachers

Student to Faculty Ratio

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.

Percent of Full-Time Faculty

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%.

Full-Time Faculty Percent  53 out of 100
0
100

What Are the Graduation and Retention Rates at George Mason University?

86% Freshmen Retention
68% On-Time Graduation Rate

Freshmen Retention Rate

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.

Freshmen Retention Rate  86 out of 100
0
100

Graduation Rate

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%.

On-Time Graduation Rate  68 out of 100
0
100

Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at George Mason University.

How Diverse Is George Mason University?

27,752 Undergraduate Students
59.4% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
49.2% Percent Women

In the current academic year, there are 27,752 undergraduates at George Mason.

Get more detailed information on the diversity at George Mason University.

How Much Does George Mason University Cost?

$17,140 Net Price
31% Take Out Loans
$26,008 Total Student Loans

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.

Net Price by Income Group for George Mason

$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.

Student Loan Debt

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.

How Much Do George Mason University Graduates Earn?

$76,343 Avg Salary of Grads
High Earnings Boost

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. Average Salary for George Mason University Graduates

See which majors at George Mason University make the most money.

Where Is George Mason University Located?

Virginia State
27,752 Undergraduate Students
Suburb Campus Setting

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.

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

What Majors Does George Mason University Offer?

27 Majors With Completions
22,262 Undergraduate Degrees

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

Learn more about the majors offered at George Mason University along with which ones have the highest average starting salaries.

Does George Mason Offer Online Classes?

76% Take At Least One Class Online
14% Take All Classes Online

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.

Notes and References

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

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options