10-yr median earnings
$76,343
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Fairfax, Virginia
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public institution in Fairfax, Virginia. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $17,915
- Avg net price / yr
- $76,343
- 10-yr median earnings
- 68.6%
- 150%-time completion
- 87.5%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
George Mason University pairs top-5% former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 5%
- former-student earnings, US
- 87.5%
- acceptance rate
- 68.6%
- 150%-time completion
- +26%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: R1
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this George Mason University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
B-
College Value Score
69/100
George Mason University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$76,343
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$17,915
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate B-
68.6%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$19,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A
80.0%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention B+
86.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$17,915
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
68.6%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 68.6%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - George Mason University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How George Mason University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
George Mason University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$76,343 Top 5% higher than 95% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | George Mason University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $76,343 | #245 of 5103 | 95th |
| Average net price | $17,915 | #2664 of 5020 | 47th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 68.6% | #1529 of 4858 | 69th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 27,752 | #77 of 5462 | 99th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
27,752
Undergraduate enrollment
87.5%
Acceptance rate
1,274
SAT average
68.6%
150%-time completion
$76,343
10-yr median earnings
86.0%
First-year retention
How George Mason University ranks in Virginia
State rank among 125 reporting Virginia colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | George Mason University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $76,343 | #8 of 125 | 94th |
| Average net price | $17,915 | #49 of 107 | 54th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 68.6% | #23 of 102 | 77th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 27,752 | #4 of 126 | 97th |
Highest former-student earnings in Virginia
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington and Lee University | $94,810 | $23,781 |
| 2 | Chamberlain University-Virginia | $92,405 | $33,199 |
| 3 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | $86,863 | $21,565 |
| 4 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | $81,698 | $24,953 |
| 5 | Sentara College of Health Sciences | $77,821 | - |
| 6 | Virginia Military Institute | $77,369 | $17,113 |
| 7 | Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing | $77,014 | - |
| 8 | George Mason UniversityThis school | $76,343 | $17,915 |
| 9 | University of Richmond | $76,178 | $31,309 |
| 10 | William & Mary | $73,490 | $19,096 |
| 11 | Southside College of Health Sciences | $71,380 | - |
| 12 | James Madison University | $69,954 | $23,322 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 87.5% |
| SAT Average | 1,274 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 580 – 680 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 580 – 680 |
| ACT Average | 28 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 25 – 30 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at George Mason University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$11,942 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$12,093 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$15,224 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$25,894 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at George Mason University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $14,220 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $38,688 |
| Average Net Price | $17,915 |
30.1%
Pell Grant Rate
30.7%
Federal Loan Rate
$19,500
Median Debt
$207/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at George Mason University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $17,385 to $21,048 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -0.1%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$17,385
Highest year
$21,048
Most recent (2023)
$18,287
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $18,3052023 · $18,287
Over the same years, enrollment went +27.0% (21,324 → 27,083 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
55.7%
Female
30.0%
First Generation
Outcomes
86.0%
Retention Rate
$60,536
Median Earnings (6yr)
76.5%
Earning Over $25K
80.0%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 68.6% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 86.0% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $60,536 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $76,343 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 76.5% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 80.0% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $19,500 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $207/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 56 | 5,801 | $73,017 | $143,972 | $21,266 |
| Master's | 50 | 2,509 | $101,650 | $167,363 | $35,816 |
| Graduate Certificate | 9 | 444 | $83,051 | $109,911 | $30,822 |
| Doctoral | 4 | 91 | $119,943 | $148,171 | $58,778 |
| First Professional | 1 | 148 | $135,661 | $135,661 | $65,077 |
Top programs at George Mason University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer Systems Networkin…
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
$167,363 median earnings
- Computer Software and Medi…
Computer Software and Media Applications
$162,691 median earnings
- Computer Engineering
Computer Engineering
$158,029 median earnings
- Homeland Security
Homeland Security
$154,158 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$148,171 median earnings
- Homeland Security
Homeland Security
$143,972 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$142,690 median earnings
- Law
Law
$135,661 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton
Dunmore, PA
$17,910 net price · $5 apart
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR
$17,936 net price · $21 apart
University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA
$17,890 net price · $25 apart
Keene State College
Keene, NH
$17,887 net price · $28 apart
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at George Mason University? ▼
George Mason University is a public institution in Fairfax, Virginia. The acceptance rate is 87.5%. The average SAT score is 1,274. Undergraduate enrollment is 27,752 students.
How much do George Mason University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at George Mason University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $76,343 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $60,536.
How much does George Mason University cost? ▼
The average net price at George Mason University is $17,915. In-state tuition is $14,220 and out-of-state tuition is $38,688. Median student debt at graduation is $19,500.
What is the graduation rate at George Mason University? ▼
George Mason University has a 68.6% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 86.0%.
Is George Mason University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at George Mason University is $19,500, while former students earn a median of $76,343 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 26% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 80.0% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $207.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from George Mason University
- Compare George Mason University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Virginia side by side.Browse Virginia
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.