Key Facts

Mason's students, faculty, staff, and alumni go beyond the desire to know and understand, striving to make a difference.

#1 in Virginia for Economic Diversity

New York Times

Mason is the largest public research university in the Commonwealth of Virginia with over 40,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries.

Mason boasts a 90% admission rate, a testament to its commitment to access and impact in the community.

Mason’s six-year graduation rate of 71% is well above the national average, with no disparity based on ethnicity or economic status.
24% of Mason undergraduate students are first generation students. 29% are eligible for federal need-based Pell Grants, which is greater than the state average.

Nearly 2,800 of Mason’s incoming students in fall 2022 were transfer students, including more than 700 students in Mason’s award-winning ADVANCE transfer pathway program with Northern Virginia Community College.

Even now, Mason continues to grow. Spring 2022 headcount and credit hour enrollment went up 1.6%. Out of state enrollment went up 12.6% and international enrollment shot up 25%.

Mason is ranked a top 50 public institution, per the Wall Street Journal (2023)

Best University for Non-Traditional Students

#4 public in America (#8 overall), #1 in VA,

per College Factual's National Rankings

Best in Virginia for Social Mobility

Wall Street Journal

87 percent of graduates

report positive career outcomes within six months

Mason drives economic growth in the region. In a survey of the graduating class of 2022, 86% are employed in Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, D.C.

87% of those surveyed had a positive career outcome at or within 6 months of graduation, meaning they were employed, continuing education, or serving in the military or with a volunteer organization.

Mason produces more tech graduates than any other four-year institution in Virginia. Almost 40% of Mason students major in STEM fields. Mason graduates most often go into the industries of government/military, technology, healthcare/pharmaceuticals/biotechnology, or education.

Mason is conveniently located within a few hours of all the major economic and cultural centers on the East Coast of the United States. We host 500+ employers through recruitment networking events, Career Fairs, and the On-Campus Interviewing Program.

Mason graduates earn among the highest starting salaries of graduates from Virginia public universities; the median salary reported for the Class of 2022 was $72,000.

Mason's Antonin Scalia Law School is among the top 10 public law schools in the country.

#5 in ROI for engineering majors

per Affordable Colleges Online

One of the youngest R-1 ranked universities

Mason is a nationally ranked R1 research university. Total research expenditures for FY22 were $178 million, a 12.4% increase over FY21.

The Fuse building, 345,000 square feet under construction at Mason Square in Arlington, will create a place where students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and tech powerhouses can come together to learn, develop, and grow together.

Cutting-edge research conducted at Mason has led to groundbreaking advancements in cancer detection, treatment of Lyme disease, concussion protocols, and COVID-19 early detection.

The National Science Foundation ranks Mason 10th among U.S. public universities in research growth over the past decade.

Mason offers 132 degree programs at the master’s, doctoral, and professional level, and more than 100 graduate-level certificates. Eight of our graduate programs have been designated as best in Virginia.
Mason is No. 1 in Virginia in web design and development, database administration, and remote sensing engineering, according to EduRank.
Mason is ranked No. 5 nationally for homeland security, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Our students gain experience through research, fieldwork, internships, service learning, study-abroad programs, and alternative spring breaks.

Mason is ranked 8th nationally among public institutions and 1st in Virginia for innovation, per U.S. News and World Report.

200+ Study Abroad Programs

ranging from spring breaks to year-long excursions

22 NCAA Division 1 Teams

Mason is home to 34 club sports with more than 800 participants every year. There are also 25 intramural activities with more than 2,800 participants.

Mason has more than 230,000 square feet of indoor athletics facility space available free to students, along with faculty and staff memberships.

George Mason University is one of just four Division I schools in the nation to boast a perfect 100 on the Athlete Ally's Athletic Equality Index. Campus Pride Index rates Mason as a "best of the best" university, one of only 30 institutions nationwide and the only one in Virginia to gain that distinction.

Major League Cricket (MLC) and Mason are working together to study the feasibility of a new multi-purpose cricket and baseball facility to host MLC matches, Mason games, and other regional events.
Mason is now No. 8 nationally and No. 8 among public institutions in FIRE's free speech rankings.

#1 Ranked Pep Band

in the US, per the NCAA