George Mason University

Fairfax, VA · Public

Official website

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Admission rate

George Mason University admitted 87.5% of applicants university-wide (22,074 of 25,234).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide87.5%22,07425,234
Men85.0%10,02711,803
Women89.7%12,03813,417

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 22,074 admitted students, 4,464 enrolled (20.2% yield).

George Mason University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1160–1360
ACT (mid-50%)
25–30
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.25–3.74

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

George Mason University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $55,701/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$38,688
Fees, housing, food, books & other$17,013
Sticker cost of attendance$55,701/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$11,942
$30k–48k$12,093
$48k–75k$15,224
$75k–110k$19,430
Over $110k$25,894

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Mason Merit Scholarship — $1,000 to $14,000 per year (Merit)
  • Patriot Scholarship — $6,000 per year (Merit)
  • University Scholars Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Departmental)
  • Commonwealth Advantage Scholarship — Full tuition and fees (Full Tuition)
  • Mason Grant — Varies (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition and fees (Full Tuition)
  • University Scholars Award — Full tuition (Full Tuition)

International applicants

No need-based aid reported for internationals.

  • Mason Merit Scholarship — $1,000 to $14,000 per year (Merit)
  • Patriot Scholarship — $6,000 per year (Merit)
  • University Scholars Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Departmental)
  • #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship — At least 50% of tuition (Merit)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition and fees (Full Tuition)
  • University Scholars Award — Full tuition (Full Tuition)

George Mason University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Official high school transcript
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • Secondary School Report and counselor/teacher recommendations (recommended)
  • Extracurricular activities and community service (optional)
  • Personal statement (recommended)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Official high school transcript
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • Secondary School Report and counselor/teacher recommendations (recommended)
  • Extracurricular activities and community service (optional)
  • Personal statement (recommended)
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

George Mason University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$76,343
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
67.8%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
86%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$19,500
At graduation

George Mason University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #117
  • WSJ: #71
  • Forbes: #114
  • Niche: #284
  • QS: #951

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round

George Mason University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C21–C22 · 2023

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (18%), Computer & information sciences (15%), Social sciences (7%).

Student–faculty ratio: 16:1 · 38% of class sections have under 20 students.

George Mason University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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