George Mason University (GMU) vs Prescott College

George Mason University and Prescott College, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. George Mason University, located in Fairfax, Virginia, is a large public research university with an acceptance rate of 73%, while Prescott College, nestled in Prescott, Arizona, is a small private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 85%. Both universities boast diverse student bodies, with George Mason University's student population comprising 35% White, 20% Asian, 15% Hispanic, and 10% Black students, and Prescott College's student body consisting of 65% White, 10% Hispanic, 5% Asian, and 5% Black students. While George Mason University excels in popular majors like Business, Engineering, and Computer Science, Prescott College is renowned for its strengths in Environmental Studies, Psychology, and Adventure Education. With graduation rates of 68% and 55% respectively, both universities strive
George Mason University logo

George Mason University

Prescott College logo

Prescott College

Overview

Location Fairfax, Virginia Prescott, Arizona
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 84.0% 75.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 91.3% 99.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1140 - 1350 N/A
ACT range 25 - 30 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 37.0%
Students submitting ACT score 3.0%
Total number of applicants 20,527 147
Total number of admissions given out 18,741 146
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,986 37
Yield rate 21.3% 25.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $35,263

Out of state: $58,723
$45,804
Average net price $18,841 $17,082
Tuition
In state: $9,510

Out of state: $32,970
$32,976
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,620

Meal plan: $5,010
Room/dormitory: $6,990

Meal plan: $2,530
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

70.0%
Average amount $10,110
100.0%
Average amount $27,801
Students receiving federal student loan 43.0%
Average amount $5,006
44.0%
Average amount $4,976
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $18,474
2.0%
Average amount $19,000

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 26,882
Men 50.4% Women 49.6%
388
Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
Graduate students 11,746
Men 40.7% Women 59.3%
659
Men 18.2% Women 81.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Very Low
Out-of-state students 18.9% N/A
International students 8.0% 0.3%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 6,513 104
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Virginia Maryland District of Columbia Pennsylvania New York N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 70.1% 40.0%
Dropout rate 9.6% 22.9%
Transferred out 16.5% 37.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $43,426
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.