R1 ResearchPublic

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·gmu.edu
6-yr Graduation
68%
-9.0pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
39,766
peer median 33,661
Avg net price
$17,915
-$1.8k vs R1 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
25,234
25,234 candidates competed
Admitted
22,074
87.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
4,464
20.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
68%-9.0pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
46%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
68%
Full-time retention
86%

Pell equity

5.2pp gap
Pell recipients
64%630 of 981
Non-Pell (all)
69%1855 of 2682
Subsidized loan, no Pell
69%525 of 762
No Federal Aid
69%1330 of 1920

Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 253 Title IV programs, 98 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 155 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
253
Passing
98
38.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

253programs
  • Passing98 · 38.7%
  • No Data155 · 61.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
2
Safe
95
No data
155

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

98
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+2.6%
$36,901 vs $35,969
History
Master's Degree · History
+10.9%
$59,751 vs $53,884
Music
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+12.7%
$53,431 vs $47,421
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+26.7%
$62,682 vs $49,483
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+26.9%
$45,656 vs $35,969
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+30.0%
$46,765 vs $35,969
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
+31.9%
$47,440 vs $35,969
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
+33.3%
$61,859 vs $46,391

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+2.6%
+$932

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

76
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
70%
$25,975 debt · $36,901 earn
Arts Entertainment and Media Management
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
69%
$45,625 debt · $66,400 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
69%
$43,538 debt · $63,423 earn
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
65%
$41,000 debt · $62,682 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
60%
$82,000 debt · $135,661 earn
English Language and Literature General
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
60%
$39,970 debt · $67,126 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
59%
$41,000 debt · $70,044 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
53%
$24,191 debt · $45,656 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1972Next review Jun 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 15

Action history · 29

  1. Oct 2025Initial Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
  2. Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Jun 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
  4. Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Feb 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$11,942
$30–48k$12,093
$48–75k$15,224
$75–110k$19,430
$110k+$25,894

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$17,915
-$1,825vs R1 Research median $19,740
Federal loans
30.7%
In-state tuition
$14,220
Out-of-state
$38,688

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 10,745 students received $63.1M in Pell grants, alongside $139.3M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
10,745
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$63.1M
$63,122,382 total
Direct Loans
$139.3M
17,082 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

9k
20
9k
21
9k
22
9k
23
11k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$26.4M
6,275 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$26.3M
6,269 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$44.6M
2,713 loan awards
Parent PLUS$25.9M
1,242 loan awards
Grad PLUS$16.2M
583 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 6,333 borrowers who entered repayment, 52 (0.8%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.8%
-1.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
6,333
Defaulted
52
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.1%
2017
2.6%
2018
2.5%
2019
0.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at George Mason

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs196
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

8,263 total completions
01Computer Sciences
1,97023.8%
02Business
1,42317.2%
03Health Professions
7969.6%
04Education
7699.3%
05Social Sciences
6978.4%
06Security/Protective
6377.7%
07Psychology
5757.0%
08Engineering
5716.9%
09Biological Sciences
4395.3%
10Liberal Arts
3864.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
39,766
12-mo unduplicated
47,801
Undergraduate
33,560
Graduate
14,241

Gender split

Men
48%23,098
Women
52%24,703

Race / ethnicity composition

White
31.7%
Asian
23.4%
Hispanic
17.9%
Black
12.8%
Two or more
5.7%
Non-resident
5.3%
Unknown
3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
493
240 M · 253 W
Women athletes
51.3%
Athletic aid
$7.7M
Total student aid
Budget
$32.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.5M
$4.2M
Recruiting expense
$282K
$243K
Head-coach salaries
$229K
$142K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
145 M · 119 W
$2.7M
Soccer
31 M · 33 W
$2.4M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
25 M · 31 W
$730K
Rowing
· 46 W
$541K
Volleyball
23 M · 19 W
$1.5M
Baseball
40 M ·
$1.3M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.16
46 offenses · 39,527 students

3-year trend

0.802 yrs ago0.721 yr ago1.16Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
105
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
191
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
15
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
17
Motor vehicle theft
15
Rape
9
Aggravated assault
3
Robbery
1
Burglary
1

By location

46total
  • On campus46

Includes 16 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

5
Domestic violence
10
Dating violence
64
Stalking
79 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Religion8
  • Race1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs1456
Liquor23106

Residence-hall fires

  • Liberty Square1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Rogers Hall1 fire
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 3 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
16.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
1,442

George Mason vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions George Mason selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectGeorge Mason University
68%39,766$17,915R1 Research
86%54.8%38,857$24,953R1 Research
63%92.6%28,464$23,433R1 Research
96%16.8%26,409$21,565R1 Research
46%90.4%23,743$14,638R1 Research
86%24.2%43,889$11,297R1 Research
Peer group median77%54.8%33,661$19,740

Institutions like George Mason

Explore the federal data for institutions in George Mason's comparison group.

George Mason Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning
Email
oiep [at] gmu.edu
Phone
+1-703-993-8834
Address
4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Continuous improvement is the goal of institutional effectiveness at Mason, which is data-informed and focused on enhancing, innovating, and evolving the work through thoughtful analysis and future planning.

Visit IR office page
Team
4 members
  • Eunkyoung Park
    Executive Director for Institutional Effectiveness
  • Matthew DeSantis
    Executive Director for Institutional Effectiveness
  • Tom Bischoff
    Institutional Research and Assessment Specialist
  • Lisa Anh Nguyen
    President of the Virginia Association for Institutional Research

Common Data Set

George Mason's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about George Mason University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about George Mason.

What is the graduation rate at George Mason University?

George Mason University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 68% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend George Mason University?

George Mason University reports a total enrollment of 39,766 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at George Mason University?

The average net price at George Mason University is $17,915 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at George Mason University?

George Mason University's yield rate is 20.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is George Mason University located?

George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444.

Who runs Institutional Research at George Mason University?

George Mason University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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