Clark University vs George Mason University (GMU)

Clark University and George Mason University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Clark, a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 44%. Its student body is relatively small, with an undergraduate population of around 2,200, fostering a close-knit community. In contrast, George Mason, a public research university in Fairfax, Virginia, is more accessible, with an acceptance rate of 71%. It has a larger student body, with over 33,000 undergraduates, providing a diverse and vibrant campus environment. While Clark excels in liberal arts and sciences, George Mason is renowned for its programs in engineering, business, and public policy. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Clark University	George Mason University
Overview
Location	Worcester, Massachusetts	Fairfax, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	48.0%	91.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $100	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1218 - 1403	1140 - 1350
ACT range	27 - 30	25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	3.0%
Total number of applicants	8,151	20,527
Total number of admissions given out	3,915	18,741
Admitted students who chose to enroll	505	3,986
Yield rate	12.9%	21.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$62,302	In state: $35,263 Out of state: $58,723
Average net price	$31,565	$18,841
Tuition	$49,950	In state: $9,510 Out of state: $32,970
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,000 Meal plan: $4,150	Room/dormitory: $7,620 Meal plan: $5,010
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $27,608	70.0% Average amount $10,110
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,282	43.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $16,271	6.0% Average amount $18,474

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,302 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	26,882 Men 50.4% Women 49.6%
Graduate students	1,048 Men 49.3% Women 50.7%	11,746 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	18.9%
International students	23.0%	8.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,633	6,513
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi New York Connecticut Maine New Jersey	Virginia Maryland District of Columbia Pennsylvania New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Mathematics and Statistics Social Sciences Public Administration and Social Service Computer and Information Science	Education Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	79.0%	70.1%
Dropout rate	6.8%	9.6%
Transferred out	14.1%	16.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,601 Year 2: $64,328 Year 3: $76,941 Geography and Cartography (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,259 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $68,708 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,937 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $58,038 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,649 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $50,210 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,148 Year 2: $44,418 Year 3: $49,665 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,833 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $49,591 Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $32,656 Year 2: $39,639 Year 3: $47,508 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,412 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $46,715 Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,423 Year 3: $46,559 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $46,250	Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,837 Year 2: $109,763 Year 3: $127,586 Homeland Security (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,476 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $120,573 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,886 Year 2: $99,709 Year 3: $117,377 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,424 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $115,693 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,841 Year 2: $105,585 Year 3: $113,896 Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $121,226 Year 2: $92,632 Year 3: $105,664 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $101,843 Year 2: $100,690 Year 3: $101,702 Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,386 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $101,604 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,911 Year 2: $91,448 Year 3: $99,722 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,065 Year 2: $92,277 Year 3: $94,785

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Clark University vs George Mason University (GMU)

Clark University

George Mason University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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