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Overview. George Mason University is a public institution that was founded in 1972. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 27,666 (fall 2023), and the campus size is 817 acres. It...
- Rankings
George Mason University is ranked #109 out of 436 National...
- Admissions
George Mason University admissions has an acceptance rate of...
- Tuition & Financial Aid
George Mason University's tuition is $14,220 for in-state...
- Academics
George Mason University Academics The student-faculty ratio...
- Student Life
George Mason University has a total undergraduate enrollment...
- Campus
George Mason University also offers campus safety and...
- Rankings
- Is George Mason Right For You?
- What Makes George Mason Unique?
- How Does George Mason Prepare You For Your Post-College Career?
- What Is The Classroom Experience Like at George Mason?
- How Does George Mason Approach Freshman Orientation and Student Support?
- You Should Apply to George Mason If…
- You Shouldn’T Apply to George Mason If…
- Next Steps in Applying to George Mason
On most college websites, you’ll find a list of statistics that are meant to help you answer this question, but we want to dig a bit deeper and provide qualitative information to help you make that decision. Your college experience isn’t just a set of stats, and we want to make sure that you have a better understanding of the experience and holisti...
Proximity to Washington DC
One of the main things that distinguishes George Mason is its location on the doorstep of Washington D.C., which many students may find counterintuitive. After all, there are 10 colleges in the city of DC itself, and more than 50 colleges across DC, Northern Virginia, and Southern Maryland (including Baltimore). But along with the University of Maryland at College Park, it is one of only two public colleges in the region that hits the sweet spot of accessibility and affordability for both in-...
Research
Beyond its location, George Mason is also unique for a college of its size with its focus on undergraduate research, particularly in non-technical fields. Research at GMU is coordinated by OSCAR (the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research) which connects students from a variety of disciplines (including in the arts) to research and research-like opportunities with the campus faculty. Overall x percent of George Mason undergrads participate in some form of research through OSCAR, w...
Core Curriculum
The academic approach at George Mason is unique in that the college has a true, liberal arts inspired core curriculum instead of the prototypical general education program at most big public colleges. This may not be a good fit for everyone, particularly if a student is singularly focused on building technical skills in a specific domain as fast as possible. But the pairing of that liberal arts core with the practical, technical education provided in specific majors strikes a good balance in...
Adjunct Faculty
The other element that George Mason uses to elevate career preparation in a more practical sense is its approach to adjunct faculty. At many colleges, adjunct faculty tend to be future professors; academics who haven’t made tenure. At George Mason meanwhile, the vast majority of adjunct lecturers are working professionals from the DC area that teach on the side. This provides a more practical lens to the work students are doing in the classroom and also helps students build a professional net...
Strong Career Outcomes, Particularly for Minority Students
And once again, it’s worth reiterating that the strength of the DC job market really works hand in hand with the educational approach at George Mason to produce really strong outcomes for graduates. About 80% of graduates have either a job or enter graduate school within six months after leaving campus, and the starting salaries for those that enter the workforce (as mentioned before) are excellent. For a large public college with a demographically and socioeconomically diverse student body l...
Beyond the liberal arts curriculum and diverse set of lecturers, George Mason also has smaller classes than a typical public college of its size. 30% of its classes have fewer than 20 students and more than 85% have fewer than 50 students. And almost no classes outside of a few intro-level courses are over 100 students. There aren’t too many tiny s...
Freshman Orientation
George Mason has recently redesigned its freshman orientation experience in line with the growing practice of extending orientation throughout a student’s first year. The college offers a standard summer orientation program plus three days at the beginning of a student’s semester, and then sets aside the first two weeks of every freshman class to focus on getting students up to speed. Once students settle in on campus, the focus shifts to a holistic academic coaching model.
Student Support
This holistic academic coaching model takes a 360 degree view of student success and goes beyond the traditional academic advising model that has a more narrow tactical focus on things like registering for classes and understanding major requirements. The academic coach is a member of a dedicated team who is meant to serve as more of a coordinator to serve student needs and make sure that they get access to other resources like financial aid advising or even counseling. One worry that parents...
You want to study political science or work in the government or nonprofits
As we’ve discussed numerous times throughout this profile, proximity to job markets really matters and DC is far and away the most important job market for political science grads and people that want to work for the government or nonprofits.
You want to work in DC after graduation
Even if you’re not specifically interested in working for a politician or government office, you may still want to work in DC after you graduate. George Mason is a great launchpad for doing so.
You want to study economics
Despite its ranking and relative anonymity outside of the DC area, George Mason actually has one of the most underrated economics programs in the country. Two George Mason professors have won the Nobel Prize in economics (James M. Buchanan and Vernon L. Smith), and George Mason is also incredibly influential in modern economics. It’s economics professors include Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, who run the most influential modern economics blog, Russ Roberts who is the host of the most popular...
You are looking for a more homogenous experience
If you are looking to mostly go to school with students from your home state or even a small region of your home state, George Mason isn’t going to be a great fit. The same is true if you’re looking to attend an HBCU, a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), or all-male or all-female college.
You are looking for ultra-small classes or deeply personalized attention
While GMU does have many characteristics that are similar to those of smaller liberal arts colleges, at the end of the day it is a large public college. If you want a lot of personalized attention or aren’t comfortable with having to navigate life at a big college, George Mason probably isn’t going to be a good fit.
If you are interested in learning more, you can schedule acampus visitat George Mason. If you are interested in applying to George Mason, you can find more information at theadmissions page. George Mason uses the Common App but it also has a separate application system. It has three main application deadlines. Curious about your chances of acceptan...
Oct 7, 2024 · George Mason University is a great school due to its strong emphasis on research and innovation, diverse academic programs, and commitment to student success. Located in Northern Virginia, it benefits from proximity to Washington, D.C., offering students valuable internship and job opportunities.
2 days ago · Mason offers over 200 degrees and numerous minors and certificate programs so you can customize your education to meet your career and personal goals. Mason’s prime location in Fairfax, Virginia, just 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C., gives you the best of both worlds.
- (5.1K)
- (703) 993-2000
- 4400 UNIVERSITY DR, FAIRFAX, 22030, VA
- October 20, 2024
George Mason University is ranked #109 out of 436 National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more...
- 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, 22030, VA
- 070399 31000
View George Mason University rankings for 2025 and see where it ranks among top colleges in the U.S.
6 days ago · Updated October 10, 2024. Read - George Mason ranks #1 in Virginia for best value, internships, and upward mobility. Read - Mason has 14 graduate programs in the top 50 in U.S. News rankings.
