George Mason University (GMU) vs University of South Carolina-Columbia (UofSC)

George Mason University and University of South Carolina-Columbia, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. George Mason, located in Fairfax, Virginia, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on research, while the University of South Carolina-Columbia, situated in the heart of South Carolina's capital city, is known for its vibrant campus life and commitment to community engagement. With varying acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, these universities cater to different academic aspirations and personal preferences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your educational goals and personal preferences.

	George Mason University	University of South Carolina-Columbia
Overview
Location	Fairfax, Virginia	Columbia, South Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	87.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.3%	61.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1140 - 1350	1150 - 1360
ACT range	25 - 30	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	37.0%	38.0%
Students submitting ACT score	3.0%	26.0%
Total number of applicants	20,527	42,045
Total number of admissions given out	18,741	25,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,986	6,174
Yield rate	21.3%	23.9%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $35,263 Out of state: $58,723	In state: $29,398 Out of state: $50,638
Average net price	$18,841	$21,898
Tuition	In state: $9,510 Out of state: $32,970	In state: $12,288 Out of state: $33,528
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,620 Meal plan: $5,010	Room/dormitory: $7,010 Meal plan: $3,980
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	70.0% Average amount $10,110	93.0% Average amount $7,055
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $5,006	48.0% Average amount $5,340
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $18,474	10.0% Average amount $17,657

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	26,882 Men 50.4% Women 49.6%	26,864 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	11,746 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%	8,607 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	18.9%	N/A
International students	8.0%	4.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	6,513	9,377
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	Business Health Professions Education Engineering Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.1%	78.2%
Dropout rate	9.6%	5.3%
Transferred out	16.5%	16.0%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $102,315 Year 2: $132,531 Year 3: $124,225 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $103,612 Year 2: $114,145 Year 3: $117,580 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $104,414 Year 2: $95,102 Year 3: $107,403 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,505 Year 2: $91,986 Year 3: $97,806 International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,202 Year 2: $90,049 Year 3: $93,323 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,370 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $79,846 Public Health (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $77,526 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,229 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $76,713 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,365 Year 2: $70,776 Year 3: $73,730 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,632 Year 2: $66,670 Year 3: $72,857

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George Mason University (GMU) vs University of South Carolina-Columbia (UofSC)

George Mason University

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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