Colleges / George Mason University
College · Public · Fairfax, VA · Suburb
GMU

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

Address4400 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444
Websitewww.gmu.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate87%
6-yr median pay$61k
Net price / yr$18k
Undergrad size27,752
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $18k/yr for a shot at a $61k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 87% means this is workable if your grades and essays are solid. Admitted students average SAT 1274 · ACT 28.

If you get in

27,752 undergrads. Big. You will have to make it feel small yourself.

Where you live

Suburban — a short drive to the nearest city, greener but still connected.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $29k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $18k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$114k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$72k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$43k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.2x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$14.2k
Tuition · out-of-state
$38.7k
Room & board
$15.7k
Books & supplies
$1,288

How students pay for it.

Pell grants30%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans31%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$20k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $9k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention87%
Solid.
Graduation · 6 yr68%
Majority finish.
6-yr median pay$61k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$76k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out17%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
Suburb
Control
Public
Undergrad size
27,752
Location
Fairfax, VA
Region
Southeast (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)
Carnegie class
Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity (R1)
Size & setting
Four-year · large · primarily nonresidential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, selective, higher transfer-in
Accreditor
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Also known as
George Mason
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White32%
  • Asian23%
  • Hispanic18%
  • Black13%
  • Two or more races6%
  • International5%
  • Unknown3%
First-gen students30%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time19%
Mixed full-time and part-time.
Veterans0%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$44k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 71

What you can study.

Colleges / George Mason University
College · Public · Fairfax, VA · Suburb
GMU

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

Address4400 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444
Websitewww.gmu.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate87%
6-yr median pay$61k
Net price / yr$18k
Undergrad size27,752
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $18k/yr for a shot at a $61k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 87% means this is workable if your grades and essays are solid. Admitted students average SAT 1274 · ACT 28.

If you get in

27,752 undergrads. Big. You will have to make it feel small yourself.

Where you live

Suburban — a short drive to the nearest city, greener but still connected.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $29k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $18k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$114k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$72k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$43k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.2x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$14.2k
Tuition · out-of-state
$38.7k
Room & board
$15.7k
Books & supplies
$1,288

How students pay for it.

Pell grants30%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans31%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$20k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $9k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention87%
Solid.
Graduation · 6 yr68%
Majority finish.
6-yr median pay$61k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$76k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out17%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
Suburb
Control
Public
Undergrad size
27,752
Location
Fairfax, VA
Region
Southeast (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)
Carnegie class
Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity (R1)
Size & setting
Four-year · large · primarily nonresidential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, selective, higher transfer-in
Accreditor
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Also known as
George Mason
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White32%
  • Asian23%
  • Hispanic18%
  • Black13%
  • Two or more races6%
  • International5%
  • Unknown3%
First-gen students30%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time19%
Mixed full-time and part-time.
Veterans0%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$44k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 71

What you can study.