George Mason University

Public · Moderately Selective · VA

Photo: Wehwalt (CC BY 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationVA · South

SettingSuburban

Undergrads27,752

Student:faculty16:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate46.4%

6-yr grad rate67.8%

Drop-out rate14%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$14k

Out-of-state tuition$39k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity68.3%

Gender diversity48.8%

International5.3%

Identity—

Overview

George Mason is Virginia's largest public university, anchored in Fairfax in the DC suburbs. Founded as a branch of the University of Virginia and independent since 1972, it has grown unusually fast for a public university, building a research profile that trades directly on its location: close enough to Washington to fold federal agencies, international organizations, and government contractors directly into coursework and career pipelines. The renaming of its law school to Antonin Scalia Law School in 2016 drew national attention, a reminder that Mason often punches above its age in visibility.

Academics

Economics carries unusual weight for a school of Mason's type: the department built its reputation on public-choice theory, historically associated with Nobel laureates who taught there, and the market-oriented Mercatus Center gives students access to a working policy research center on campus. The Schar School of Policy and Government and the Volgenau School of Engineering both draw on Mason's Northern Virginia location for practically minded coursework, and the Antonin Scalia Law School has built a genuine national reputation in law and economics. Programs across the university tend toward applied, career-ready training over abstract theory.

Campus & student life

The Fairfax campus has taken on a more traditional residential character over the past two decades, even as Mason keeps a foothold in Arlington near Rosslyn for graduate and policy programs, plus a smaller campus in South Korea. The student body is among the most diverse in the country, and campus culture reflects that mix rather than one dominant identity. Mason basketball had a genuine national moment with its 2006 Final Four run as a mid-major, still a point of pride for alumni and a rare shared reference point across an otherwise decentralized campus culture.

Getting in

Mason's process is holistic but pragmatic, weighing academic preparation alongside fit with its professional, career-oriented programs. It has grown steadily more selective as its research profile and national visibility have risen, though it remains more accessible than Virginia's most competitive publics. Applicants aiming at economics, policy, or the Scalia Law School benefit from showing genuine interest in those specific strengths rather than treating Mason as a generic regional option.

After graduation

Graduates feed heavily into the DC region's job market: federal agencies, government contractors, consulting firms, and nonprofits recruit directly from campus, and economics and policy graduates in particular find a well-worn path into think tanks and government work. The alumni network is strong within Virginia and the Beltway region, less so nationally, which suits students who plan to build a career in or around Washington.

Worth knowing

Mason's economics department is a genuine outlier: its association with free-market, public-choice thinking, and the Mercatus Center it houses, gives students interested in that intellectual tradition a rare undergraduate on-ramp to it. The Arlington campus, geared toward graduate and professional programs, is worth knowing about for students who might use Mason as a launching pad beyond Fairfax.

gmu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate87.5%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1160–1360 · ACT 25–30

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 1

Regular decisionFeb 1

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Own application.

Financial aid formsMar 1

George Mason's Early Action (November 1) is nonbinding and gives priority consideration for the Honors College, University Scholars, and merit-based scholarships; Regular Decision applicants are considered for the Honors College only on a space-available basis. There is no binding early decision plan.

Supplemental essays (1)

Explain to the Office of Admissions why YOU want to go to college. Tell us about yourself and your experiences that have led to this decision.
250 words · Optional · optional but strongly encouraged

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗