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George Mason University: cost, admission and results

George Mason University is a public college in Fairfax, Virginia. It has about 27,752 undergraduate students. It admits 87% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $14,697 a year.

At a glance

  • 87%Admission rate
  • $14,697Net price a year
  • 66%Graduation rate
  • $79,923Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Type
Public
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Suburb of a large city
Undergraduate students
27,752
Graduate students
11,432
Students per teacher
16 to 1
Accredited by
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Website
gmu.edu

Getting in

George Mason University admits 87% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1274 out of 1600 (midpoints: 625 in reading and writing, 620 in maths). The midpoint ACT score is 28 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees, students from Virginia$14,316
Tuition and fees, students from elsewhere$39,312
Room and meals on campus$16,156
Books and supplies$1,290
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$26,910
Average net price after grants and scholarships$14,697

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 34% below the median net price of colleges in Virginia on this site ($22,186). International students are normally charged the out-of-state tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$9,594
$30,001 to $48,000$9,467
$48,001 to $75,000$11,341
$75,001 to $110,000$16,147
Above $110,000$23,862

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeVA medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year86%75%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)66%52%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$79,923$56,693$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$18,500$21,843$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Virginia and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

34% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 29% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 49% women and 51% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 4 of the 72 colleges in Virginia on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,217.

Other colleges in Virginia of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of George Mason University?

George Mason University admits 87% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at George Mason University?

Published tuition and fees are $14,316 a year for students from Virginia and $39,312 for others. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of George Mason University?

66% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

All colleges in Virginia How to read these figures