PlainCollege

Columbia College vs George Mason University

Columbia, SC · Fairfax, VA · largest Scorecard gap: median earnings (10 yr)

Scorecard match plate

Pair SC:VA

MIXED-SECTOR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-OPEN · NET-PAR · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-GAP · GAP-EARN

  • MIXED-SECTOR Mixed sector
  • CROSS-STATE SC × VA
  • ACCEPT-OPEN Open admission
  • NET-PAR Net near-par
  • EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
  • DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
  • COMPLETE-GAP Completion gap
  • GAP-EARN Largest gap · Median Earnings (10 yr)

Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the NET-SPLIT · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.

Decade path · College Scorecard

Net-price paths do not share a shape

NET-SPLIT · 2013–2023

One school has a directional average-net-price path over 2013–2023; the other sits in a measured range (or the two move opposite ways). Cost gaps on this board are moving targets.

  • Columbia College: average net price rose +44.6% from $16,360 (2013) to $23,650 (2023), r² 0.64.
  • George Mason University: net price ranged $17,385–$21,048 across 11 years (2013–2023); endpoint change -0.1% is not a trend (r² 0.03).
  • Columbia College: acceptance rate eased +47.4% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.71).
  • George Mason University: acceptance rate eased +43.2% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.80).

College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.

Scorecard metrics

Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.

Largest gaps: Columbia College vs George Mason University

  1. MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(1 George Mason University leads on median earnings (10 yr) ($76,343 vs $41,338 at Columbia College)
  2. OUT-OF-STATE-TUITI Columbia College leads on out-of-state tuition ($22,214 vs $38,688 at George Mason University)
  3. IN-STATE-TUITION George Mason University leads on in-state tuition ($14,220 vs $22,214 at Columbia College)

Columbia College profile · George Mason University profile · Compare other colleges

Median Earnings (10 yr) and other Scorecard questions

On median earnings (10 yr), who leads between Columbia College and George Mason University?▼
George Mason University leads on median earnings (10 yr) at $76,343 versus $41,338 at Columbia College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On out-of-state tuition, who leads between Columbia College and George Mason University?▼
Columbia College leads on out-of-state tuition at $22,214 versus $38,688 at George Mason University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On in-state tuition, who leads between Columbia College and George Mason University?▼
George Mason University leads on in-state tuition at $14,220 versus $22,214 at Columbia College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); median earnings (10 yr) focus for this pair · 2025