More selective than 38% of Virginia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,604. College Scorecard.
Higher than 72% of Virginia colleges we cover and 75% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 86% of Virginia colleges we cover and 91% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
George Mason University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 22,579 applicants, George Mason University admitted 20,057 and 4,451 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1160–1360 on the SAT or 25–30 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
George Mason University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Virginia residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
George Mason University majors, earnings & careers
George Mason University offers 71 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
- Science & Math · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Arts & Design · 7
- Engineering · 6
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
Highest-earning majors at George Mason University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Homeland Security | $143,972 | $21,741 |
| Computer Engineering | $117,942 | $26,697 |
| Systems Engineering | $114,815 | $21,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $110,754 | $23,250 |
| Electrical Engineering | $103,074 | $26,725 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $97,049 | $18,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $96,467 | $25,000 |
| Physics | $96,138 | — |
Quick list of all 71 majors
- Accounting$91,132
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$59,024
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biology$64,301
- Biomedical Engineering$93,533
- Business—
- Business Administration$85,224
- Chemistry$77,681
- Civil Engineering$93,856
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences$110,754
- Computer Engineering$117,942
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice$69,511
- Dance$36,901
- Economics$87,548
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$59,979
- Electrical Engineering$103,074
- English$56,071
- Environmental Science / Conservation$60,874
- Film and Photography$50,086
- Finance$88,080
- Geography$74,692
- Geology / Earth Science$53,441
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Graphic Communications$47,440
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$64,046
- History$51,168
- Homeland Security$143,972
- Hospitality Management$62,727
- Human Development and Family Studies$61,565
- International Relations$69,399
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$63,672
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$61,100
- Linguistics$58,931
- Management Science / Analytics$97,049
- Marketing$69,210
- Mathematics$77,519
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Mechanical Engineering$96,467
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music$46,765
- Neuroscience$68,546
- Nursing$89,878
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution$72,271
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences, Other—
- Physics$96,138
- Political Science$74,125
- Psychology$62,563
- Public Administration$67,973
- Public Health$65,358
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security$63,182
- Social Work$55,715
- Sociology$64,603
- Special Education—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies$61,216
- Systems Engineering$114,815
- Theatre$45,656
- Visual and Performing Arts$54,703
- Writing$62,383
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Washington
Overall prices in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,438. Housing costs 51% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 19 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Fairfax County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Fairfax County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare George Mason University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Virginia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason University | 87% | $17,915 | 68% | $76,343 | This school |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 93% | $23,433 | 63% | $58,128 | |
| Old Dominion University | 90% | $14,638 | 46% | $54,914 | |
| Christopher Newport University | 86% | $23,015 | 72% | $60,509 | |
| James Madison University | 72% | $23,322 | 80% | $69,954 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
George Mason University would cost you $5,518 less per year than Virginia Commonwealth University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at George Mason University, mostly from more George Mason University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$4,049).
- Virginia Commonwealth University gives aided families $4,832 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | George Mason University | VCU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $14,220 | $16,945 | −$2,725 |
| Books & supplies | $1,278 | $1,240 | +$38 |
| Housing & meals | $15,151 | $16,119 | −$968 |
| Personal & travel | $3,504 | $6,150 | −$2,646 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$5,549 | −$1,500 | −$4,049 |
| Sticker price | $28,604 | $38,954 | −$10,350 |
| Average grants | −$10,689 | −$15,521 | +$4,832 |
| You pay | $17,915 | $23,433 | −$5,518 |
“+” means George Mason University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about George Mason University
What is the George Mason University acceptance rate?
George Mason University accepts 87% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 20,057 of 22,579 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1160–1360 on the SAT or 25–30 on the ACT.
How much does George Mason University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,604 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,915 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,942 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,894.
How much do George Mason University graduates earn?
Former George Mason University students earn a median $76,343 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the George Mason University graduation rate?
68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% return for their second year.
Is George Mason University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing George Mason University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “George Mason University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/george-mason-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).