Ferrum College vs George Mason University (GMU)

Ferrum College and George Mason University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to students with diverse aspirations. Ferrum College, a private liberal arts college nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, boasts a close-knit community and a focus on undergraduate education. In contrast, George Mason University, a public research university located in Fairfax, Virginia, offers a wide range of academic programs, including graduate degrees, and is known for its strong research and innovation. While both institutions provide quality education, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Ferrum College	George Mason University
Overview
Location	Ferrum, Virginia	Fairfax, Virginia
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	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	57.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	76.4%	91.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $75
SAT range	920 - 1180	1140 - 1350
ACT range	18 - 24	25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	15.0%	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	7.0%	3.0%
Total number of applicants	1,671	20,527
Total number of admissions given out	1,277	18,741
Admitted students who chose to enroll	220	3,986
Yield rate	17.2%	21.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,080	In state: $35,263 Out of state: $58,723
Average net price	$22,278	$18,841
Tuition	$36,480	In state: $9,510 Out of state: $32,970
Room & board	$12,400	Room/dormitory: $7,620 Meal plan: $5,010
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $29,653	70.0% Average amount $10,110
Students receiving federal student loan	84.0% Average amount $5,940	43.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $13,700	6.0% Average amount $18,474

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	863 Men 59.3% Women 40.7%	26,882 Men 50.4% Women 49.6%
Graduate students	6 Men 16.7% Women 83.3%	11,746 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	18.9%
International students	2.8%	8.0%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,439	6,513
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia Maryland District of Columbia Pennsylvania New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Natural Resources and Conservation Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Education Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	34.3%	70.1%
Dropout rate	53.2%	9.6%
Transferred out	12.3%	16.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,791 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $37,680 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,667 Year 2: $29,322 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,122 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,394 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,382 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	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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Ferrum College vs George Mason University (GMU)

Ferrum College

George Mason University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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