George Mason University (GMU) vs University of Virginia-Main Campus (UVA)

George Mason University and University of Virginia-Main Campus, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Virginia, offer distinct educational experiences. George Mason, located in Fairfax, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, with a focus on interdisciplinary studies and research. In contrast, University of Virginia-Main Campus, situated in Charlottesville, is known for its rigorous liberal arts curriculum, strong research output, and historical significance as a public Ivy. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	George Mason University	University of Virginia-Main Campus
Overview
Location	Fairfax, Virginia	Charlottesville, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Small
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%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.3%	20.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $85
SAT range	1140 - 1350	1380 - 1500
ACT range	25 - 30	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	37.0%	52.0%
Students submitting ACT score	3.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	20,527	47,971
Total number of admissions given out	18,741	9,951
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,986	3,889
Yield rate	21.3%	39.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	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: $36,314 Out of state: $70,696
Average net price	$18,841	$20,401
Tuition	In state: $9,510 Out of state: $32,970	In state: $16,010 Out of state: $49,710
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,620 Meal plan: $5,010	Room/dormitory: $7,110 Meal plan: $5,550
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	70.0% Average amount $10,110	46.0% Average amount $19,612
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $5,006	25.0% Average amount $4,845
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $18,474	6.0% Average amount $11,030

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	26,882 Men 50.4% Women 49.6%	17,294 Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
Graduate students	11,746 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%	8,711 Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	18.9%	35.2%
International students	8.0%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	6,513	7,645
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	Virginia New York Maryland Pennsylvania New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Engineering	Business Health Professions Engineering Social Sciences Education
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	15:1
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%	93.7%
Dropout rate	9.6%	2.3%
Transferred out	16.5%	3.6%
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	Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $185,710 Year 2: $162,255 Year 3: $193,013 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $157,071 Year 2: $155,263 Year 3: $176,237 Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,350 Year 2: $101,406 Year 3: $125,729 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,426 Year 2: $107,256 Year 3: $120,362 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,239 Year 2: $95,739 Year 3: $109,956 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $83,639 Year 2: $92,077 Year 3: $108,272 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,682 Year 2: $90,146 Year 3: $101,904 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,602 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $95,939 Systems Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,487 Year 2: $82,808 Year 3: $94,931 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,807 Year 2: $70,596 Year 3: $84,597

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