George Mason University is a public research university located in Fairfax County, West Virginia. It was established in 1949 as a branch of the University of Virginia in the northern Virginia region. After ten years, it was renamed to honour the founding father of the United States; George Masonans became an independent university of its own in 1972. 

The university has since grown exceedingly, becoming the largest in the commonwealth of Virginia, and now operates four campuses within Virginia and one in Seoul, South Korea. The university is certified and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on Commission of Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.

George Mason University (GMU) has an urban setting with a campus size spanning across 817 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. George Mason University ranked 137th in the 2022-2023 edition of Best National Universities by U.S. News. GMU is one of the most flexible research universities in the country, and it’s classified as an “R1:Doctoral University- very high research activity”. GMU has over 119 majors and minors in ten schools of science and technology, business, and public health.

George Mason University is the most diverse institution in Virginia, with a small class size of an average of 25 students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1.

The 119 majors at GMU cover the gamut of academic disciplines, where students have the opportunity for interdisciplinary and integrative studies and can craft their own degree programs. These disciplines are dispersed among; Antonin Scalia Law School, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, College of Education and Human Development, College of Engineering and Computing, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Health, College of Visual and Performing Art, College of Science, Shar School of Policy and Government and School of Business.

George Mason University Ranking

As a coveted university of higher education, GMU has a series of excellent ranking positions compared to other universities within and outside the states and is no doubt one of the top universities in the country.

Recently, George Mason University was listed as one of the nation’s top universities in the newly released rankings from the U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. In the category of Best Colleges 2022-2023 edition, GMU ranked No. 137 on the list and No.20 on the list of Most Innovative Schools.

In the 2022-2023 edition of world ranking universities by Q.S. Global World Rankings, GMU was placed #1001-1200. Other ranking indices are:

• George Mason University was ranked #89 in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges for Veteran
• George Mason University was ranked #165 in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Value Schools
• George Mason University was ranked #132 in the 2022-2023 edition of Top Performers on Social Mobility 
• George Mason University was ranked #64 in the 2022-2023 edition of Top Public Schools
• George Mason University was ranked #94 in the 2022-2023 edition of the Best Undergraduate Engineering Program 

George Mason University Acceptance Rate

Getting admitted into George Mason University can be a smooth journey and prove to be the right direction, considering the pedigree of her alumni network and the overall prestige. Meeting their GPA requirements and also their SAT/ACT requirements is very important.

As of 2023, George Mason University’s acceptance rate is 89.2%. Thus, proving just how easy it can be to gain admission if you really want to attend and have a chance at studying at the incredible George Mason University of Virginia.

To increase your chances of admission, you should aim for early submission and apply for GMU as your first choice. The school starts the admission process immediately and early on, which is why you should apply and submit all necessary requirements before or latest, by early November.

George Mason University Admission Requirement 

Apart from having an 89.2% acceptance rate, GMU also ranks amongst the public schools with the most acceptance rate. George Mason University has requirements for admission test scores and would easily admit students who score up to this. Typically, GMU allows students to select other schools, giving them space to weigh their options before applying to their university. 

ACT Scores Requirements

Available admission data indicates that GMU regularly accepts students with ACT scores of 25 to 31 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores within this range or above. However, It is common to see applicants admitted with scores lower than this, but the school might have to consider other aspects.

SAT Scores Requirements

George Mason University’s previous data shows that most successful applicants submit SAT scores, usually between 1160 to 2340 out of the normal 1600 scale.

George Mason University Location

George Mason University has four campuses in the United States, and all are located in Virginia. Three of the campuses are within the suburbs of Northern Virginia, Washington metropolitan area, and the other one is in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The university then has its fourth campus in South Korea, Songdo International Business District of Incheon. Between 2005 and 2009, the university had a campus at Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. 

The university’s Fairfax Campus is on 677 acres of land with a large pond in a suburban environment in George Mason, Virginia. It is just south of Fairfax City in central Fairfax County. 

The Arlington Campus is situated on 5.2 acres right in Virginia Square, an urban environment close to Arlington County and Virginia’s Clarendon business district. The campus was founded in 1979 after the school acquired a law school. The school also has a Science and Technology campus that opened on August 25, 1997. More than 4,000 students are enrolled in classes in bioinformatics, information technology, and forensic biosciences educational and research programs.

 The international campus in Songdo, South Korea’s Incheon Free Economic Zone, is a 42,000-acre site that Opened in March 2014. It is located 25 miles (40 km) from Seoul and is connected to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway.

George Mason University Notable Alumni 

Some of the notable alumni of the great George Mason University are;

• Abdiweli Mohamed Ali: President of Puntland and Prime Minister of Somalia

• Bryon Allen: basketball player for Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Basketball Premier League

• Anousheh Ansari: Iranian-American engineer, co-founder of Prodea Systems and the first Muslim woman in space

• Justin Bour: former Major League Baseball player

• Callie Brownson: American football coach

• Anna E. Cabral: Treasurer of the United States under President George W. Bush

• Shawn Camp: former Major League Baseball player, current GMU interim baseball coach at Toronto Blue Jays

• Kathleen L. Casey: Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission[178]

• Mike Colangelo: former Major League Baseball player

George Mason University Undergraduate Tuition and Fee

Below is the 2022-2023 cost of attending for George Mason University undergraduate students enrolled full-time at Tulane University.

• Virginia Resident

Tuition & Fees- $13,401

Room- $8,300

Board- $4,330

Books- $1,314

Transportation- Variable

Miscellaneous- $1,400

TOTAL- $28,745 (including transportation)

• Out-of-State Student

Tuition & Fees- $38,983

Room- $10,520

Board- $4,330

Books- $1,314

Transportation-Variable

Miscellaneous- $1,400

TOTAL- $56,547 ( including transportation)

George Mason University Scholarship

GMU awards millions of dollars in scholarships to freshmen every year. These awards recognize strong talent and achievement. Most GMU scholarships require one to be enrolled full-time and are not necessarily based on enrollment loads.

All freshman applicants who apply by November 1, which is the Early Action application deadline, will automatically be considered for merit-based scholarships through the Office of Admissions and the Scholarship Committee. These early applicants are notified of their admissions decisions by mid-December, and the Scholarship Committee further briefs students if they qualify for the scholarship by February. For more information, click here.